Pray for Rain
by Painted Sky
Summary: Plucked from his homeland of Besaid by an escaped prisoner, Vidina begins an adventure throughout all of Spira, a quest to fix the mistakes left behind by the last generation of adventurers. Vidina x OC
1. Prologue

**A/N: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Not another story from Skye's Rain! You can't get rid of me, can you? But I'm straying a little from my normal category, Kingdom Hearts, so don't shoot me if it all sounds a little OC for a while. Ahem:**

**I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THE FOLLOWING:**

**Scaring and/or disturbing you from within my author's notes. They are a little fun, I must admit.**

**Typos. Kudos and a dedication in the following chapter for any reviewer who finds a spelling error within my story.**

**Confusing you. I'm known for complex plots, so if it's weird or doesn't make sense, I'm sure it will be explained later. I think. **

**Not replying to reviews. I will get around to it eventually, but I have two fics going right now and will be a little slow as far as replying goes.**

**Not updating for a while. Again, I won't forget about it, but writer's block may stop me for a while. A nice review might put me on the right track. ;)**

**Sorry about that. Just had to put that out there, for anyone who actually reads my author's notes. **

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* * *

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**Pray for Rain:**

**Prologue:**

_The bell announcing the ship's arrival from Luca was loud, shrill and continuous, ringing, ringing, ringing throughout the whole island of Besaid. The day was pleasantly warm, the sky was clear, with not a cloud in the sky to threaten the beautiful summer day. _

_The afternoon sun was reflected on the ocean, a vast blue to match the sky. The seaside wind whipped through the air, running through the hair of a certain High Summoner. _

_Yuna sucked in a breath of the salty sea wind as the ferry pulled into the dock, the bell still echoing through the air. _

"_Nervous?" Came a voice from beside her. She turned to see Tidus, her former guardian turned fiancé. He was smiling softly to himself, obviously realizing he had her figured out. _

"_I'm not sure…" She trailed off, not the least bit surprised to see that he had followed her here. "I don't know why I should be."_

_Putting an arm around her, he said in a reassuring voice, "You haven't seen her in a year. And after all, she's married now. It's a big change. She's kinda like your little sister." Chuckling slightly, he continued, "And you have always seemed to avoid change, Yuna." She smiled guiltily back at him, knowing what they were both thinking of. Tidus had had to ask her three times if she would marry him before she said yes, and each time she had sobbed, saying she wasn't ready. _

"_I guess you're right. There should really be nothing to worry about. She's just my cousin." She sighed. "I mean, Rikku has good intentions, but she's a little, well, implusive."_

"_Does this have anything to do with her running off and marrying Gippal?" Tidus asked, seeing right though Yuna's words for the second time in their seaside conversation. _

"_I don't know, really. It did seem a little, out of the blue, if you ask me."_

"_You're afraid she'll get hurt? Don't worry, Yuna, Gippal's a good guy. He'll keep Rikku under control. They're good for each other, you'll see." He replied, as she rested her head on his shoulder._

"_I can't help but worry about her sometimes, though."_

_And it was at these words that Rikku dashed forward off the boat and pulled Yuna into a loving, bone-crushing embrace. "Yunie!"_

"_Rikku!" Yuna replied, with slightly less enthusiasm than the blonde in question, as her cousin released her and looked her up and down. _

"_Well, someone's settled down, haven't we?"_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" But in all truth, Yuna had settled down. After reuniting with Tidus in the aftermath of Vegnagun, she had abandoned her skimpy sphere hunter outfit in favor of something more conservative. She had placed herself on Besaid, determined to carry out a normal life. _

"_You've changed, Yunie." She replied, smirking to herself. "And I'm a hundred percent sure it's his fault." Without turning, she pointed to Tidus. After winking at Yuna, she said, turning her head to face him, she said, "Oh, and by the way, nice to see you, Tidus."_

"_Nice to see you too, Rikku."_

_Immediately following these words, Gippal stepped on the beach, his step swaggering with his normal abundance of self-confidence. "This really is a nice island," he said, facing but momentarily ignoring his wife, her cousin, and his wife's cousin's fiancé. _

"_Can't believe I've never been here before."_

_Rikku walked back to meet him, and Yuna noticed a spring in her step that she hadn't seen in a while. Not for a long time, she decided. _

"_Did you think you could leave us out?" As Yuna turned, she saw Lulu, Wakka, and a nearly two-year-old Vinida standing over by the forest. Vinida was clutching his mother's leg, as if to protect himself from all of the strangers. It was an adorable sight, to see such a happy family all together. _

"_Of course not, Lulu!" Yuna said, smiling. _

"_Good. Good to see you, Rikku, Gippal. How's Bikanel?"_

"_As good as ever!" This time, it was Gippal who replied. _

"_If you don't mind," Lulu began, "I need to put little Vinida here down for a nap."_

_Vidina, still half-hidden by his mother's leg visibly scowled at the mention of a nap. His little brown eyes narrowed as Lulu picked him up and held him over her shoulder. Rikku, smiled slightly, letting out a small, "Aww..." _

_As Lulu and Vidina retreated into the forest, Wakka and Tidus immediately began discussing the eminent Blitzball season, a conversation in which Gippal also chose to join into, leaving Yuna and Rikku to catch up. _

"_Soooo Yuna," Rikku began, desperately drawing out her words for emphasis, "I heard about the engagement."_

"_You did?" It caught Yuna slightly off guard, but the statement also reminded her that news traveled fast in Spira, especially about the resident High Summoner. Yuna looked up at the vast blue sky, remembering how blue it had looked when she had bade her goodbyes to this place, more than three years ago. But still, still the sorrow of leaving her childhood home had been burned into her memory, a feeling to always remind her of her past. _

"_Well, of course I did. It's not every day a celebrity like you gets engaged. And you wouldn't _believe _how fast news travels in Luca." Both turned their heads to see the three men out in the ocean now, Tidus gesturing wildly to Gippal, possibly to demonstrate an element of the game. _

_Yuna and Rikku shared a momentary laugh. And Yuna herself couldn't deny, that from the way Rikku watched Gippal and could laugh so freely, that she was very much in love. And thus, she realized that as immature as she appeared, Rikku had enough common sense to tell who she was really in love with, and she was just going to have to trust Rikku not to get hurt. _

"_Rikku, I have big news."_

"_Other than the engagement?"_

"_Yeah. Other than the engagement. Rikku, a representative from Bevelle has asked me to be ruler of Spira."_

"_Why Yunie, that's wonderful!" And she pulled Yuna into another hug, showing her pure unpredictability by reacting exactly opposite of how Yuna had imagined it. As she had waited for the ferry, she had played it through in her head a million times, but something deep inside had said that Rikku would be jealous of the offer. Maybe she was. But the important thing, Yuna decided, was that Rikku didn't let her know that she was jealous. If she was. _

"_Yunie, guess what!"_

"_What?" Yuna said, her curiosity set alight._

"_I'm going to have a baby!" Rikku said, and it became apparent that she had been bursting to say this the whole time._

"_Do you have a name?" Deep inside, Yuna had known this was coming. From Rikku's undeniable happiness, the spring in her step, this had been coming all along._

"_Nyeh, I think."_

"_The Al Bhed word for rain?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Nyeh. Hm." Yuna tried out the name, and a feeling arose from deep inside. Something she had never felt before. No, wait. She had. In this very same spot. More than three years ago. It was the feeling of fate, pressing on her, crushing her, stealing the breath from her body. She wavered on the spot, her hand to her forehead. As she lost consciousness, she fell to the ground, hitting the sand. _

"_Yunie!" Rikku promptly kneeled beside her, and yelled her name again. "Yunie!"_

_Tidus took off running through the ocean to meet Rikku on the sand, to examine his unconscious fiancée. "What happened?" he asked Rikku._

_Rikku, who was now in tears, simply stated, "I don't know. She just—she just fell." _

_Tidus took Yuna's hand, and the feeling washed over his senses, slowly taking his vision, and in the end, all he could do was hear Rikku shout his name as well as he and Yuna disappeared. _

**A/N: My goodness. I wonder how many people I lost or confused with that prologue. I promise, it will all make sense eventually. Just keep reading, please! And yes, Vinida will be the center focus in the next chapters, and for the rest of the story. Well, he will be part of the center focus. He'll have to share the spotlight with my OC. Hahahahaha. **


	2. Chapter 1: Collide

**A/N: Wow, that was embarrassing. As promised, extra kudos and a dedication to my lovely reviewers _mandyb_ and _habbo_, who both caught my 'Vidina' mistake. Now, I feel really, really stupid. XP Just so you know, I had it right every single time in all of my prewrites, but somehow slipped up when I was typing. But at least my pair of lovely reviewers saved me from more embarrassment than absolutely necessary. Bah. I'll do my replies at the end of the chapter. **

**A warning: I will be doing a couple flashbacks, in order to give my readers a little background. If it's confusing, I'm really, really sorry. And a little bit of mild language near the end. **

**Note: There will be a lot of Al Bhed in the second part of the chapter, so if you aren't fluent or don't have a translator, I recommend this one:**

**without further ado:**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter One:**

"Collide"

Vidina was bored.

Really, really bored.

He had already exhausted all of the things he had planned for today, and it wasn't even noon yet. He had made breakfast, worked a little at the general store, gone swimming, and played a little Blitzball with his dad. But now, he paced along the shore, keeping to himself. But of course, that was normal. At least, for Vidina. Unlike most residents of Besaid, he was extremely introverted, and preferred more than anything to be left alone.

Not that there was many people on the island he would like to spend time with. At nearly seventeen years old, he stood tall, thin and tanned, any island girl's dream. The fact that he wanted nothing to do with the teenage girls of his island made him all the more enjoyable to pursue, and he got more irritated with it every day.

The sky was cloudy, on the verge of dismal, with a promise of rain threatening his beautiful summer day. Vidina could just imagine the equally dismal mood the other residents would emit if it began to storm in the middle of the day, and smiled slightly to himself. In fact, Vidina liked the rain. The smell as the storm approached, the rhythm as the sheets of rain beat on the roof of the temple, just something about the rain appealed to him. Just when he had his hopes up for spending the afternoon enjoying the weather, someone from behind interrupted him.

"Hey, Vidina …" A brown haired girl said,_ Catássa? Kana? __Kasumi? What was her name again? _Vinida struggled to recall. "Whatcha doin'?"

Vidina winced. He remembered now. The thick Kilikan accent was unmistakable. Kasumi (or whatever her name was) had moved here from Kilika a month ago, and had joined the race for Vidina. He mentally decided that he would rather be bored. "Waiting for it to rain." He chose the blunt route this time. Poor Vinida was still trying to figure out how to get rid of her.

She rushed up beside him, making a show of flipping her hair out of the wind. "Ooh," she gushed, "Don't you just _love _it when it rains?"

Vidina inwardly groaned. This wasn't working. Unable to come up with a good comeback, he simply said, "Yeah."

Kasumi sighed, placing her head on his shoulder. Well, as best she could, considering he was at least a head and a half taller than her. _She has to only be, like, twelve or thirteen. _He let out a short, angry sigh that could be passed off as simple exhaling in anyone else.

"So, Vidina," Sensing what was coming, he readied himself an excuse. "Whatcha doin' tonight?"

"Uh, I'm busy." _Great excuse, genius. I'm sure she'll fall for that one. _

"Really?" In her self pity, Kasumi's voice squeaked at least an octave higher than Vidina had ever heard before. He rubbed his ear subconsciously. She clung to his arm pitifully and stuck out her bottom lip, as if that could possibly convince him that he wasn't already busy. Which he wasn't.

"Yeah. Really." No matter how annoying she was, Vidina still felt bad about lying to her. Maybe he would find something to be busy with. "Kasumi, it's starting to storm. You better get back to the village."

"Oh, fine. And by the way," She began, smirking, "My name's not Kasumi."

Vidina sighed. He had always been bad with names.

_

* * *

For whatever reason, Rikku and Gippal were the prime suspects for the disappearance of Yuna and Tidus._

_Rikku, in tears, often repeated, "I don't know what happened to Yuna. I really don't. But she's my cousin! She's always been like an older sister to me. What makes you think that I would do anything to hurt her?" _

_But a mysterious figure, one who had risen to power after the disappearance of Yuna, insisted that Rikku was lying. Rikku's journal, discovered later, summed up the crisis better than anything I have read. _

'_The scary thing isn't that me and Gippal were accused of kidnapping Yuna. The scary thing is that everyone else in Spira believes it.'_

_And it was true. It seemed plain to Rikku, as well as the rest of the Al Bhed, that this new leader was only trouble, but no one else, even Wakka and Lulu, would hear of it. In the months following the disappearance, Rikku had been driven to tears more than in her entire life. _

_But in the end, Rikku and Gippal were sentenced to be banished to Bikanel, along with the rest of the Al Bhed race. It was if it was taken straight from a nightmare. No one protested, no one lashed out, everyone else in Spira supported the decision. And that left the Al Bhed trapped in their tiny island. For the rest of eternity. _

* * *

"Cyhtcduns! ((**Sandstorm**!))" A girl's voice floated above the rushing winds and blowing sands although it was unnecessary. Everyone on the island could recognize that the poor diggers were being overcome by a sandstorm.

"Fa ryja du kad uid uv rana!((**We have to get out of here!**))" A blonde teenage boy replied to the girl who had yelled first.

"Uv luinca fa tu. Oui aqbaldat sa du cdyo eh dra settma uv dra cyhtcduns? ((**Of course we do. You expected me to stay in the middle of the sandstorm?)**)" The girl stated as she placed her hands on her hips and as her equally blonde hair blew around her, she brushed it out of the way in an attempt to try and spot shelter.

"Cunno! ((**Sorry!)**)" The boy replied, holding up his hands in fake surrender. "Y meddma suuto dutyo, ynah'd fa? ((**A little moody today, aren't we?**))"

Never giving up a chance to argue, she replied, "Dryd'c hu fyo du dymg du ouin umtan cecdan, Mekred.((**That's no way to talk to your older sister, Mekred**.))"

"Cunno, Nyeha. Sus fyc nekrd, oui yna zicd y pimmo.((**Sorry, Nyeha. Mom was right, you are just a bully**.))"

"Crid ib! Tu oui fyhd sa du mayja oui eh dra settma uv dra cyhtcduns, un hud? ((**Shut up! Do you want me to leave you in the middle of the sandstorm, or not?**))" Then something dawned on her face. "L'suh. Fa haat du veht cramdan ihdem drec ujan. Yldiymmo, E ryja cusadrehk E haat du tu. Rayt hundrfacd yht veht Nara. Cra'mm pa eh dra knyo crylg.((**C'mon. We need to find shelter until this over. Actually, I have something I need to do. Head northwest and find Nara. She'll be in the gray shack**))" After seeing the blank look on Mekred's face, she said, "Rymv y sema eh dryd tenaldeuh.((**Half a mile in that direction**.))" She pointed off into the bleak distance.

Knowing not to question his older sister, he nodded and ran in the direction she had pointed. Nyeha sighed, happy to be rid of him, but still nervous about what was to happen next.

She began running in the opposite direction that she had sent her younger brother, to the heart of the storm. Her heartbeat quickened as the wind ferociously rushed around like a vicious, struggling animal. But still, she had no time to be afraid. She didn't have time to feel much of anything. There was something that needed to be done.

When the resistance was too much, when she felt like she couldn't run any longer, Nyeha hit a space of dead air. It was, unnatural, she decided. There was a small circle, with about a hundred yard diameter that was almost magically protected from the rest of the storm. The air simply wasn't moving. At once, Nyeha knew she had found the place she was looking for.

"Huf, huf, huf, frana du veht dryd yencreb...((**Now, now, now, where to find that airship...**))" Having reached the still air, she put her hand to her forehead in thought. If she had indeed found the place she was looking for, she was in danger and needed to escape as soon as possible. "Famm, ed ryc du pa rana cusafrana. Drana ynah'd syho bmylac uh drec ecmyht oui lyh reta yh yencreb.((**Well, it has to be here somewhere. There aren't many places on this island you can hide an airship.**))"

She looked around, turning her head from side to side as she wondered how in the world they were hiding that airship. In her anger and frustration, she accidentally slipped into her second language. "Grr…where is that stupid airship? Open up!" After a panicked pause, she moaned, "Ur hu, ur hu, fryd ryja E tuha? ((**Oh no, oh no, what have I done?**))" Al Bhed weren't supposed to know the Spiran language. Her mother had warned her to keep it a secret, and she had slipped up. A careless, possibly fatal mistake.

But something interrupted her. The creaking and groaning of…metal? It was coming from underneath her….

Like something she had never felt before, the ground under her seemed to split and sand streamed into a dark, bottomless pit. _What a bizarre way to die…_She concluded, as she fell in herself.

* * *

"_Hypnotized!" Rikku had screeched, in the Bevelle court as she was put on trial. "You've hypnotized all of Spira!" _

"_Not all of Spira, but yes, Rikku, they are hypnotized." The figure paced back and forth at the top of the room. "I could have had them kill you, but no, no, I am a much kinder spirit than you think, and allowed you, your husband, and the rest of your race to live. And believe me, Rikku, that is much more than the Al Bhed deserve."_

* * *

Nyeha landed on her feet.

It was amazing, really. Nyeha was mostly known for being very unlucky, ungraceful, and pretty much just klutzy all of her life, so landing on her feet after a good thirty foot drop was quite an accomplishment. She thought, wondering how she had managed to get the doors to open (for she assumed that it was more than luck). After a quick moment, it was painfully obvious, and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before.

"Lights, please." _Even when trying to escape from the prison where I've spent my lifetime, and talking to voice automated mechanics, manners can't hurt, right?_

As if in answering, a thousand lights clicked on. It was brighter than anything she had ever seen before, but she didn't notice. There was something else that had stolen Nyeha's attention. The airship. The way out. The answer to the Al Bhed's prayers.

_

* * *

Although the island of Bikanel had once been the secret hidden paradise of the Al Bhed, their refuge, the one place they could run to and feel safe, it was now their prison. No longer did their airships fill the sky, nor did Luca buzz with the two languages, existing and mixing in harmony._

_Bevelle had sent troops to guard the Al Bhed, and make sure they never escaped. More than one person believed Rikku would go insane, but soon, the birth of her first child calmed her down. _

"_Nyeha…" _

_Despite her parentage, little Nyeha was raised like any other Al Bhed, but a spitting image of her mother, as if to constantly remind Rikku what life was like when she was younger. _

_But deep inside, Rikku believed that Nyeha could free the Al Bhed from their awful fate. Nyeha reminded Rikku so much of Yuna, so stubborn, so determined. Maybe Nyeha could save her own race, and bring Yuna back in the process. _

* * *

It was raining harder now, but Vidina didn't go back to the village.

He had thought about it, certainly, but something told him that he needed to stay out here. As if he had forgotten something that he was supposed to wait for, out here. As the rain pounded hard on his skin, he shivered as he heard the thunder.

Was it thunder? It had sounded like thunder at first, but the way it resounded through the empty sky, echoing, droning on, it sounded almost mechanical. Like, an airship…_ But what in the world would an airship be doing out here? _He reasoned, but then, something showed up in the sky. It was a bright red, a shining beacon, and it was heading straight for the island.

* * *

"Yh ecmyht?! Fryd dra ramm ec yh ecmyht tuehk uid eh dra settma uv dra ulayh?!((**An island?! What the hell is an island doing out in the middle of the ocean?!**))" She momentarily scolded herself for being stupid. Not only saying something stupid, but thinking she could fly this airship in the first place. Ooh, what had she gotten herself into? "Ymm ecmyhtc yna zicd ceddehk eh dra settma uv dra ulayh, Nyeha. Dryd'c fryd ecmyhtc tu.((**All islands are just sitting in the middle of the ocean, Nyeha. That's what islands do**.))"

And at one last gust of wind in the wrong direction, Nyeha and the recovered airship were speeding to the beach, spinning out of control.

* * *

And at that moment, two worlds collided, with such effects that every single person in Spira would feel the repercussions.

**A/N: It was a long wait, but I've got almost a 2000 word chapter. Whew. Now, for review replies: **

**mandyb: Thanks again for correcting my 'Vidina' mistake:) And yes, I am plagued with a habit of comma overusage. It was bound to happen sometime in that chapter. **

**habbo: Thank you, thank you. I'm quite honored. And I love it when my reviewers are confused, and as you might notice, I try to do it on purpose. Yes, yes, as a writer I'm constantly pressured to update. It doesn't really help that I have a thing for extra long, elaborate chapters. **

**mysticalwarrior88: All I can say is that I'm not exactly sure how confused hell is. ;) **

**See y'all at the beginning of the next chapter. **

**Signing out, **

**Skye's Rain **


	3. Chapter 2: Takeoff

**A/N: Y'know what? I give up. I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, and I normally wait for at least _one _review before typing another chapter, but I am sick and tired of waiting for people to review. So I don't have to do any replies, I guess… . **

**Mild language throughout, and such. Nyeha's a little potty mouth. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Two: **

"_The Takeoff" _

"Hello?!" Vidina called, once he was inside the airship. It seemed deserted, however, and his voice seemed to echo endlessly. "Is anyone there?"

"Ur so kut, zicd kad ouin cdibet ecmyht-ycc uvv so yencreb!((**Oh my god, just get your stupid island-ass off my airship!**))" Nyeha mumbled, up in the cabin, under one of the beds. All she wanted was for him to leave, so she could repair the airship and get out of here. But despite all the nasty thoughts beamed in his direction, she heard the familiar clatter of the airship elevator.

A guy, about Nyeha's age, walked in, with tanned skin and red hair that made it look like his head was on fire. He took a look around the cabin, before walking up the stairs and examining each of the beds in turn. Realizing that she was running out of options, Nyeha grabbed his ankle and pulled him to the floor.

Nyeha expected him to scream. Generally, the first instinct of someone who is pulled to the floor by someone hiding under a bed would be to scream. But Vidina, well, he just looked confused. Really, really confused. She pulled him under the bed, and listened to see if anyone else was here, on her airship. Of course, she already thought of it as 'hers'.

"E drehg fa lyh cdemm vmo. So kut, fa haat du kad uid uv rana.((**I think we can still fly. My god, we need to get out of here.**))" It was clear that Nyeha was talking to Vidina, but he just looked blankly back at her. But even though she was mostly mumbling to herself, she blushed all the same. "E sayh, E haat du kad uid uv rana. Oui tuh'd ryja du lusa.((**I mean, I need to get out of here. You don't have to come.**))"

Vidina's eyes went wide. "You're an Al Bhed!" Sheer panic filled his eyes.

"Crid ib!((**Shut up!**))" she yelled at him as he scooted himself out from under the bed and stood up, obviously prepared to run. "I mean, wait! You can't tell anyone I've escaped!" Halfway down the stairs, he stopped, turned around, and looked at her straight in the eye.

"You speak Spiran too? My god, who are you?"

"I'm—well, I'm not really sure who I am. That's kinda why I escaped." She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully.

"So, can I leave now?"

Terror flashed across her eyes for a second time. "I don't think you get it. If you tell anyone, and I mean _anyone, _I will be killed on the spot without a second thought. No, no, the ideal answer to the situation would be to just kill you and dump your body in the ocean on my way out of here."

"Is that what you plan on doing?" Vidina asked hesitantly, as if he didn't really want to know in the first place.

"I dunno," She said slyly, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll spare you. After all, you are kinda cute." She said as she stepped forward and looked him up and down.

And all Vidina could think about was how terrified he was of this tiny little blonde girl, and how this was not exactly how he imagined his death. "C'mon." She said, grabbing his wrist as she walked past.

Vidina fell down a couple of steps before he regained his footing, as Nyeha dragged him down the stairs. As they proceeded down the hallway to the elevator shaft, he considered wrenching her hand off his wrist and making a run for it, but a little flash of sliver off the back of her leg changed his mind. Apparently, she had a knife strapped to the inside of her lower leg, hidden safely inside her boot. At least, for now. Vidina shuddered. All of a sudden, he decided it might be better to stay with her.

Reading the menu quickly, she selected 'Bridge', and the elevator lurched downward. Vidina suddenly realized how unfamiliar this whole 'machina' idea was, and what a sheltered island life he had led.

"Well, uh…" He began as she let go of him to walk forward, and examine the damage done to the bridge.

"Don't interrupt." She said as she put her hands on her hips and took in the appearance of the battered airship, looking this way and that.

"Roger that…" Vidina said, and took a moment to examine this kidnapper. Now that he thought about it, her appearance gave her away as Al Bhed instantly. Her light blonde hair seemed almost white at the tips, bleached from so many hours out in the sun. Her clothes, in shades of yellow, black and green, were tight-fitting but protective, convenient for desert life. Her boots, nearly coming up to her knees, were perfect for hiding knives and walking on sand, and had taken much wear, similar to the black gloves on her hands. There was a scar coming from her left shoulder almost to her elbow, probably from some clawed fiend she had come across. She was—pretty, he decided, well, for an Al Bhed. She was certainly not like the Besaidian girls he was used to. In fact, their attire seemed downright modest compared to Nyeha's. In her midriff-baring green top and tiny black skirt, she was—exotic, unknown.

So much for vicious, bloodthirsty kidnapper.

"I've made up my mind." Nyeha said, turning around, and waking Vidina from his moment of deep, observant thought. "You can go if you want. It won't matter, my head will probably be hanging in Bevelle by sunset tomorrow whether or not some island-ass tattles on me. You can leave."

"No." Vidina said, surprising both Nyeha and himself.

"What?" She said, not quite believing it.

"I'm not leaving. I want to stay here, on your airship."

Nyeha seemed genuinely surprised, but she replied, raising her eyebrows. "Well, I guess I can't really stop you, can I?"

"Good." Vidina said, just now taking a moment to think through his decision. What the hell was he doing, anyway? Jumping on some airship with some crazy Al Bhed girl with a knife strapped to the back of her leg, that's what he was doing. Might as well throw me in the Farplane, he decided.

"Now, uhm, if you'll excuse me, there are some repairs I need to take care of in the engine room." She still seemed a little put out by his decision to stay with her. She was obviously contemplating what might happen to her now that she had picked up this hitch-hiker. "Oh, and by the way, what's your name?" She seemed a little guilty for not asking this before.

"Vidina."

"You've got to be kidding."

"What?"

"Vidina is the Al Bhed word for future."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You think it's a coincidence?" Vidina asked, wondering why his parents had never mentioned this before.

"What are the chances of those letters lining up exactly like that? And besides, it's not a very common." She paused. "My name's Nyeha. Remember it well, because if you ever get taken by the Al Bhed, tell them you know Nyeha and they'll let you free. Why? Well, I'm the princess of the Al Bhed, so to speak." She took a bow, mocking herself. "Now, 'future boy', that engine won't fix itself. Ta ta!"

And as she darted off to fix the engines, Vidina began to wonder what in the world he had gotten himself into.

"EEek!" Nyeha cried as she leaped back onto the bridge. "The storm's over, and now a group of Besaidians are coming to see what the crash was about! I'm going to get found out, after all this?"

"What happened to your head being hung in Bevelle by sunset tomorrow? Do we have a motive all of a sudden?" Vidina had been making fun of her, but he was worried. If his father (or especially his mother) found out he was on the airship, they would never let him leave. And he had to get out of here, he was sure.

"We've got to fly. It's now or never, Vidina." She said as she stood in front of the cockpit, facing him and looking worried.

"Let's go, Nyeha." He said. All of a sudden, his mouth was making decisions without his mind's consent, and it could get him into trouble if he didn't get a grip on it. But so far, all this impulsiveness had gotten him was an airship ride with this hot Al Bhed girl. This wasn't so bad. Instantaneously, he bashed his own mind for thinking like that. She was—she was—she was _Al Bhed_, for God's sake!

"Right, then." She hopped in the cockpit. She pressed a large red button that looked important, and the airship made a menacing sounding noise, then shortly died. "Tyshat yencreb! Lyh'd pameaja ruf Brother yldiymmo vmaf drec beala uv lnyb!((**Damned airship! Can't believe how Brother actually flew this piece of crap!**))" She pressed the button again, and up the airship rose, and she pressed another and an escaped Al Bhed, a runaway Besaidian, and a seventeen-year-old airship sped away into the sky, newly acquainted with each other.

Whatever Vidina had gotten himself into, it was a little late for regrets.


	4. Chapter 3: Discovery

**A/N: New chapter time!**

**Jasmine107: Thanks! Glad to hear it! Well, now you know what happens! Sorta…**

**RxR, people. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Three:**

"_Discovery"_

Nyeha was talking to herself.

Well, Vidina decided, she could be trying to talk to him, but she had slipped into her native tongue and was on a rant.

"Dra fyo E caa ed, dra etaym bmyla du nabyen dra yencreb fuimt pa Djose, pid E tuipd fa'mm syga ed bycd Kilika pavuna fa ryja du syga cusa nabyenc.((**The way I see it, the ideal place to repair the airship would be Djose, but I doubt we'll make it past Kilika before we have to make some repairs.))"** She stopped her rant, and appeared to be thinking for a moment, before starting up again, "E pad drao cdemm gaab umt sylrehy byndc eh dra dasbma...rettah, uv luinca, pid...hudrehk cdyoc rettah vun muhk.((**I bet they still keep old machina parts in the temple...hidden, of course, but...nothing stays hidden for long.))" **

"Uhh…." Vidina said, feeling really, really stupid. He had managed to catch Djose and Kilika, but she could be saying that they were going to throw bombs over Djose and Kilika, for all he knew. "What?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Nyeha said apologetically, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "The airship needs to be repaired. The best place to stop would be Djose, but we'll have to stop in Kilika first, or we won't make it." She turned the airship on auto pilot and walked over to him.

"About how far are we from Kilika?" Vidina asked unsurely.

"Er, about fifty miles, I think." Nyeha said, but from the look on her face, she had no idea. She ran over and checked the navigator's station, as the airship gave a horrible, sputtering lurch.

"What was that?" Vidina asked, bent over with his hands on his knees in order to keep his balance.

"Uh," Nyeha said, blinking a couple times to clear her thoughts. "We're not going to make it much farther… We're going to have to land on that sandbar and swim the rest of the way. Actually," she said, leaning over to look at the water below them. "it looks shallow enough to wade through." The airship lurched again as she scurried over to the pilot's seat.

Vidina watched her and felt slightly guilty, for not being able to help her at all. But was it really his fault that he couldn't operate machina? But still, he wished he could take that panicked look of Nyeha's face.

She took off the auto-pilot and manually attempted to land on the sandbar. But the engine gave out, so she was only trying to steer a falling ship. And that was futile. So all they could do was brace themselves.

* * *

"Well, we were pretty lucky, if you ask me." Nyeha said, hopping out of the airship and brushing herself off. The damage had been pretty minimal, they really had gotten off lucky.

"Lucky? Lucky?!" Vidina asked as he too exited the airship. Nyeha, obviously more machina-savvy, had been sitting down at the time of their….descent. Vidina hadn't. "We fell out of the sky." He said slowly.

"First of all," Nyeha said, slightly enraged by his pessimism, and also with narrowed eyes and her shoulders hunched like an angry cat. "Neither of us was killed, or severely injured. Second, the airship suffered only minor damages, and with some decent parts, we should be up and flying again. Third, the crash was not loud enough that any of the villagers would notice, or come looking to see what happened." And she began wading through the water toward the beach.

_Great. _Vidina said, _Now I've got a fugitive Al Bhed mad at me, and I don't even know what I did. _He followed her, if a little clumsily, as they waded through the knee-deep water in total silence.

Nyeha seemed graceful in her step, not scuffling and tripping like Vidina did as they waded to the island. In the aftermath of the storm, the beaches of Kilika seemed to be deserted, and people were keeping to their houses, just incase it started storming again. Vidina knew that because the people of Besaid did the same thing. An island storm could be ferocious, and absolutely devastating if not treated with respect and care. So he and Nyeha, walking through the water to Kilika, would not be noticed. Brilliant.

Finally, the island came in sight. "Fifty miles, huh?" Vidina asked, a mocking tone in his voice, a moment before he realized that he had done the exact wrong thing. Nyeha's shoulders hunched again, and as she turned, her green eyes seemed to be blazing. Vidina immediately regretted ever opening his mouth, and that was before she started shouting at him.

"I would have told you that we were only a mile away, but then we 'fell out of the sky' and you seemed a little busy." And without another word, she spun back around and continued walking in the direction of the beach. Vidina, who had been holding his breath, let it out slowly in relief. For whatever reason, he didn't want her mad at him. With all of the girls on Besaid, he had gone out of his way to make them hate him. It was the opposite here, he was going out of his way to show Nyeha that he wasn't just some big, ungreatful jerk. Just the way he had been acting.

But never had he met a girl with such a fiery temper. There was such spirit, such life in her veins that it had to flow through her blood like fire. The girls, back on Besaid (he wondered, all of a sudden, why he kept comparing Nyeha to them), they had always seemed so lifeless, so two dimensional, as if it were all an act. And, it generally was. He was not someone to get to know, someone with which to have an intelligent conversation with, he was only something to be contested over.

Nyeha was so…different. Why was she that way? _She's an Al Bhed! _His conscience answered instantly, _She's nothing but a desert rat! She's lower than dirt, lower than filth! _But he raised his head, and watched her walk ahead of him. _You're wrong. So horribly, terribly wrong. She's just like me, searching for something to believe in, a place where she can belong. Who decided that Spirans are superior to the Al Bhed? They're no different than us! They have their own thoughts, their own feelings, their own dreams. She's different…yet somehow exactly the same. _

"Nyeha…" He began as they set foot on the beautiful, sugar-white beaches of Kilika. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure what I did, or what I said, but I'm sorry."

For a moment, she said nothing. She lowered her head slightly, as if lost in her thoughts. "No, it's me who should apologize. It's just…the Al Bhed, for so long, we've had all this hatred bottled up inside, just bursting, threatening to spill out at any given moment. And I, the only Al Bhed ever to escape the island prison Bikanel, well, I almost feel like it's my job to show Spira exactly what kind of hatred the Al Bhed feel for the rest of the world, hatred that they will never experience, nor understand if I don't do something about it."

Vidina thought for a minute. "I, I, I. What's up with all the I's? I thought you had decided you were going to keep me around?"

Nyeha blushed slightly, so she turned her head and looked out at the ocean, where the airship was almost visible, a speck on the horizon. "Only if you're willing to stay. It won't be easy, and you'll probably be rejected by everyone you thought was loyal, everyone you know and love. This adventure, it's a hard path that I'm willing to face alone. Stay with me in Kilika, at least, and after I get the airship fixed, then you can make your decision as to whether or not you're going home. Don't decided now, think hard about it, because I'm sure there are people back on Besaid that would miss you if you were gone." She looked down, still not making eye contact with him.

"But what about you? Aren't there people who miss you? Aren't you lonely on that airship all by yourself?" Vidina asked, sounding concerned.

"Sometimes," Nyeha said, raising her head and looking at him hard in the eye for the first time in their conversation, "Sometimes you have to put the needs of others in front of your own. In my case, the Al Bhed need me out here more than back in the safety of my home. There are things in this world that you have to sacrifice, sometimes." But before he could answer, she cut him off by beginning to walk in the direction of the village. "C'mon, I wanna get to the temple before nightfall. I hear the forest gets pretty nasty after sunset."

Knowing better than to try and press her now, Vidina followed. But, lost in thoughts of the impending decision and Nyeha's wisom and sacrifices, he nearly collided with her. She had stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes clearly focused on something on the ground before her.

It almost appeared to be a piece of beach glass, at first glance. Normally, he would have passed it by, not terribly fond of beach glass, if Nyeha hadn't been so fixated on it. And after a quick moment, he understood why. It swirled with so many colors, oranges, yellows, pinks, it was nearly hypnotizing. The colors, the way they twisted and twirled and changed, it couldn't have been natural. After shaking her head slightly, Nyeha reached down to pick it up. The moment her finger touched the glass, however, a terrible scene unfolded.

As if slashed by an invisible knife, a deep wound appeared from her hip criss-crossing her body, and began bleeding rapidly, like Vidina had never seen. The color drained from her face, her eyes clenched shut, but she still didn't let go of that glass, even as she slipped into unconsciousness. He caught her as she fell, but something was wrong.

_Something's wrong._

_Horribly wrong._

_Nyeha's blood…_

_On my hands…_

**A/N: Erm, sorry about the cliffhanger, I really didn't mean to do that…honestly…**


	5. Chapter 4: Scars

**A/N: Hooray! I have one loyal reader! Kudos for Jasmine107, the only person who actually reviews. Let that be a hint to the rest of you who read. I love reviews, so drop one on your way out. **

**Yadda, yadda, reviews, yadda, yadda, penname change, yadda, yadda, yadda….**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Four: **

"_Scars"_

Nothing like this had happened to Vidina before.

He had, so far, led a peaceful, fairly uneventful life. Every now and then, someone on Besaid got attacked by a particularly ferocious fiend, but the fiends were always easy to keep under control, and the wounds were never crippling or life-threatening. If he had a rude awakening due to the presence of machine on Nyeha's airship, this was far, far beyond a rude awakening.

And if he didn't act fast, it could cost Nyeha her life.

He had never seen such a wound, he had never seen someone bleeding so much, so fast, he had never seen all the color drain from someone's face as their consciousness slipped away. So his instincts took over in his state of panic. He ripped off a part of his pant leg and pressed it to her wound, to try and slow the bleeding. Tears still slipped down her face, even in her state of unconsciousness, and Vidina found his own eyes welling. No, this couldn't be the end. He needed help, and fast. And luckily, help came.

"Hello? Is there someone there? Oh my god, what happened?"

* * *

"You were lucky that she survived, she's bleeding badly." 

Vidina and their rescuer sat side by side, in the hut of the local healer. Nyeha had been taken back into another room with the old, wrinkled lady, so she could be properly healed.

"I can't thank you enough. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stumbled upon us." Vidina looked down. As they had carried Nyeha to the healer's, he had taken the piece of glass out of her hand, maybe to prevent it from further harming her. He held it safely in his gloved hand, turning it to examine all sides, as if to penetrate the surface and uncover its secrets.

"I shudder to think." Their rescuer said, smiling slightly, in a friendly. Vidina looked up for the first time, and got a good look at the young man who had come to save them. He truly looked like a Kilikan, with dark bronze skin, black hair tidily kept up in head band, and soft, friendly blue eyes. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Cahake." And he held out his hand, offering it to be shaken by Vidina.

Vidina hesitated for a moment, but shook it. "Vidina." He said shortly. He couldn't seem to pull his thoughts away from Nyeha to try and make small talk with this Cahake guy. What if the healer came back and told him that it was too late, that there was nothing that could be done? What would he do then? He would never be able to live with himself if he believed that Nyeha died because he didn't get help in time.

"If I may ask…" Cahake began, and Vidina had half a mind to cut him off and say no, he couldn't ask. "Where is this girl from? She's very pretty, but I've never seen clothes like hers, even in Luca."

The lie came off Vidina's lips without another thought, even though he didn't have much experience with lying in his life. "She's from the Thunder Plains. We're traveling together." Vidina was careful not to mention the method by which they were traveling, because only Al Bhed used airships, especially stolen ones.

"Wow, you must have been traveling for a while. The Thunder Plains are awful far away." This guy was a little too curious for his own good, Vidina decided. But he was saved from having to lie anymore by the return of the healer, an unconscious but alive Nyeha in her arms.

"Her wound was healed, but she'll probably be scarred for the rest of her life." The healer said. She spoke with age and wisdom, but pity for Nyeha as well. "An awful scar, but she was lucky she had two strong young men like you to get her here, or she might not have made it here." Her voice was shaky, but Vidina knew she spoke the truth. Well, sort of. Nyeha probably would have been fine without Vidina; Cahake was the one who was really instrumental in her rescuing.

"Well, goodbye Vidina, it was nice to have met you." Cahake said, waving as he disappeared out the curtain that the healer had hung in the doorway.

The healer turned to Vidina. "I suppose she with you, then?"

"Yes, ma'am." He breathed deep as the healer placed Nyeha in his arms, and at once he was surprised. She was light, very light, he decided, probably from loss of blood. Her body seemed battered and exhausted, and her shirt was still stained with her own blood. There were still tear-streaks on her face, but she was no longer crying. Now, she wore a simple expression of discomfort, and maybe something like peace.

* * *

Halfway to an inn the healer suggested, Nyeha regained consciousness. She might have been trying to speak to him, but all of her half-awake mumblings were in Al Bhed, naturally. 

"Ur, Vidina, E druikrd E fyc kuehk du tea. Pid oui'na rana, cu E kiacc E teth'd. E fyc pmaatehk cu pytmo, pid oui cyjat sa. E tuh'd ghuf ruf E't ajan pa ypma du dryhg oui. E's cina E'mm drehg uv cusadrehk. Yhodrehk vun dra bancuh fru nacliat sa…((**Oh, Vidina, I thought I was going to die. But you're here, so I guess I didn't. I was bleeding so badly, but you saved me. I don't know how I'd ever be able to thank you. I'm sure I'll think of something. Anything for the person who rescued me…**))" And she drifted off again, but with a content look on her face, all signs of discomfort were gone. Vidina smiled as he looked down at her soft facial features, and the way the late afternoon hit her equally golden hair.

* * *

He soon came across the inn the healer mentioned, apparently run by someone who didn't ask a lot of questions. And that was good, Vidina decided. He'd had his fair share of nosey people today. With the gil he had on him, he only had enough to purchase a single room. Once again, he was glad the receptionist didn't ask questions. 

Vidina, after laying Nyeha down on the bed, opened a door and discovered a balcony facing the sea.

"Oh, wow."

Being an islander by birth, he knew exactly how beautiful and island sunset could be, but even as the sun was just beginning to set, it totally blew his mind. Of course, there had been legends about Kilika sunsets. One involved Sin's attack, but one didn't like to think of such things, especially after the disappearance of Lady Yuna. There had been legends about Kilika sunsets, but this was the first time that Vidina had actually seen one.

And whatever naïve, sheltered life he had led, it was over.

* * *

He fell asleep some time later, right there on the balcony, watching the sunset. And it so happens that shortly after he fell asleep, his companion awoke. 

"Yhodrehk vun dra uha fru cyjat sa.((**Anything for the one who saved me**.))" She repeated. She was conscious enough to know that she was speaking in Al Bhed, but lately, most of her thoughts were voiced in Al Bhed. "Dra maycd E lyh tu ed syga cina oui kad rusa, pylg du dra baubma fru ghuf yht muja oui.((** The least I can do it make sure you get home, back to the people who know and love you.**))"

But still, as she saw him asleep on the balcony, she knew that deep inside, she would miss him when he was gone. There was no avoiding it. But still, she had to let him go. "Dra maycd E lyh tu ec dyga oui rusa. Oui tuh'd pamuhk rana, hud uh dra yencreb, hud fedr sa, hu syddan fryd oui cyo. E tuh'd fyhd oui du bid ouin meva uh dra meha vun so cyga. ((**The least I can do is take you home. You don't belong here, not on the airship, not with me, no matter what you say. I don't want you to put your life on the line for my sake**.))" It was as if she had to convince herself that he had to go home.

"E fuimt hajan mad oui cylnevela ajanodrehk oui ghuf yht muja vun sa. E--oui--pynamo ajah ghuf sa. Ruf luimt oui ajan lyna dryd silr vun sa yhofyo? Hu, E tuh'd drehg oui'mm ryja y bnupmas maddehk sa ku.((**I would never let you sacrifice everything you know and love for me. I--you--barely even know me. How could you ever care that much for me anyway? No, I don't think you'll have a problem letting me go.**))" And with only a single glance at his sleeping form, she left the room and shut the door tight.

* * *

"Vidina!" 

"Vidina!"

"Hm?"

"Vidina! Wake up!"

"What?"

"Wake up! We need to get on the airship!"

"The aiship?"

"Yes, the airship! It's me, Nyeha! Open your eyes, lazy ass! We have to leave!"

Vidina's eyes shot open and he sat up immediately, to see Nyeha standing over him, which startled him even more.

"Aah!" He looked out the balcony, at the sea. He saw the many stars blanketed across the clear night sky, and saw the moon reflected on the water. "Nyeha, it's midnight!"

"I know, future boy. We need to get a move on if we want to take off unnoticed."

"Right." He nodded sharply. His eyes fell on her bloodstained shirt, and he followed the stain to find her scar. The healer was right, it was nasty, but he didn't care. The scar only proved that Nyeha was strong, strong enough to survive something as horrible as that. But he could understand why she wouldn't want to be noticed, especially if all Kilikans were as nosey as Cahake. He fingered the piece of glass, which had somehow miraculously found its way back into his hand.

"Alright, then. Now we better start walking now, because we have to get our sorry asses on that airship before daybreak."

**A/N: Aha, no cliff-hanger this time!**


	6. Chapter 5: Reflection

**A/N: Haha. I just realized, that if you rearrange the letters in Nyeha's name, it spells Hyena. Wonder if that has any significance…. **

**Replies:**

**Jasmine107: Thank you, as always. **

**Imhotep Ardeth Bey**** About Wakka and Lulu, I'm actually covering that in this chapter, so it's funny that you mentioned it! Thank you for the advice on the translations, and as you'll notice, they've been added in this chapter as well as all of the preceding. Actually, Cahake wasn't even included in my original draft, but he has a little minor plot developing for himself later. As for Yuna and Tidus, well, I can't say. You'll find out more on that in later chapters. **

**x.The Talking Cave.x: I can, and I will. I'm assuming there's a story behind your username. I always get the readers with the most interesting usernames. There's actually someone who reviewed my Kindom Hearts story under the penname "RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake". But hey, you can't judge a book by its cover, or an author by their penname.  
**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Five:**

"_Reflection"_

Their walk down to the beach was mostly uneventful, until Nyeha swiped a bucket from someone's back porch.

"What was that for?" Vidina asked, thoroughly confused. Nyeha didn't strike him as just a petty thief. And anyway, of all the things to steal, even for sport, why would she steal a bucket? And what purpose would this bucket serve?

"To wash my clothes." Nyeha explained, rolling her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, my shirt is covered in blood." _Oh, yeah. _Vidina realized. Why hadn't he thought of that before? "I'm an Al Bhed fugitive." She threw the fact out into the air, somewhat casually, as if it was something common. "I'm trying to _not _draw attention, remember?"

"Right." Vidina answered, scratching the back of his neck. Wow, she was making him feel really dumb. It seemed to be a habit of hers, something she did without even trying. But as he glanced back over at her, there was not a hint of humor neither in her eyes, nor on her face in general. As her expression had settled, it had had become discontent, displaced, and her eyes seemed to be caught on something beyond her line of sight. "Nyeha…"

"What?" She turned, her face expectant, waiting for his explanation. She obviously wanted to know why he had said her name. The discontented look was gone from her face, but her eyes hid just a little bit of pain.

"Is something…wrong?" He paused, all at once unsure of himself. What kind of reaction would such a question would provoke? At first, he decided that he didn't want to know. But his mind flashed back to that look on her face, and he decided that it would probably be worth it.

"No, everything's fine." Nyeha said, but in such a voice that convinced him that everything was _not _fine. Her face settled to that same slightly pained expression, and he decided that he should pry, even just a little bit. She may have said that she was okay, but her body language revealed otherwise.

"Are you sure, because—"

"I'm **fine**." And her assertiveness shocked him. Vidina came to the conclusion that he was just going to have to leave her alone right now, or she might bite his head off. He trained his eyes ahead, so that he wouldn't see that expression of discontent.

The town of Kilika was really a sight to behold. The village had since spread around the entire island, almost a shield to guard the forest and the temple. The houses were cleverly built on stilts, to overcome any tides or ocean storms. Bridges and walkways connected homes and other buildings, a sign of the flourishing population.

They walked slowly down the steps, machina parts in hand, and descended to the beach. The sun would rise in a few hours, Vidina decided. And when it rose, would he be whisked away on Nyeha's stolen airship, or would he be safely home on his island? She would certainly want an answer. He had made his decision long ago, but Nyeha wasn't ready to hear it. He would tell her later, maybe when she could handle it better.

_

* * *

Wakka was hysteric when he found out Vidina was missing, but strangely enough, Lulu was not._

"_No one can find him, ya?" Wakka said, his voice slowly getting louder and louder, "He just disappeared into thin air! And you're okay with that, ya?" His eyebrows were raised and his tone was confused, unable to figure out what in the world Lulu was thinking._

"_It's not the first time someone from Besaid has disappeared into thin air." Lulu said, smiling slightly. It took Wakka a moment, but he soon realized who Lulu was referring to. Yuna. _

"_But he just disappeared! What if he was kidnapped, ya?" Wakka said, trying not to admit that Lulu was right. _

"_I think he'll be fine, Wakka. Vidina's stronger than you think. He's out in the world now, finally spread his wings." _

"_But how would he—" _

_Lulu cut him off. "Some things aren't exactly what they seem." She spoke cryptically, waiting for Wakka to figure it out himself. _

"_So you're thinking that really _was_ machina, during the storm…" Wakka scratched the back of his head, unable to make up his mind. "Do ya think he'll be okay?"_

"_He'll be fine, Wakka. You'll see."_

* * *

A realization hit Vidina at that very moment. He had nearly been gone a whole day. He could just imagine the look on his father's face if he tried to tell him that he had been kidnapped by a rouge Al Bhed piloting a stolen airship. The thought of Wakka's reaction brought a smile to his face as they approached the sandbar. He glanced back at the look on Nyeha's face, and the smile disappeared. He hated to see her in pain.

They climbed back in the airship, and Nyeha began surveying the damage again. She had been right all along, they had gotten off lucky. He opened his mouth to agree with her earlier statement, but shut his mouth when he thought better of it. She spun on her heels, and turned to face him.

"The way I see it, I mostly need to repair the engine, and we can probably get ourselves to Luca, at least. From there, I can take it on foot until Djose, where I can see about getting it fixed up for real."

Vidina thought for a moment. "All these I's again. It's like you're assuming that I don't want to come along." And Vidina suddenly realized how much he wanted to stay. It was as if he had been looking forward to this his whole life, and what he was waiting for was finally here. And he wasn't about to let it go now.

"Just…think about it, okay? I wouldn't want to put you in any kind of danger, especially if I could help it." And she spun back around and walked down the hallway to the elevator, leaving Vidina to his own contemplations.

* * *

"Tyshat vidina-get. Ra'c cu cdippunh. Fro lyh'd ra caa fryd'c kuut vun res? ((**Damned future-kid. He's so stubborn. Why can't he see what's good for him?**))" Nyeha mumbled, once she was down in the privacy of the engine room. She muttered to herself as she worked, black grease smeared across her cheek. "Famm, E fyhd res du cdyo, pid E tuh'd fyhd res du kad gemmat vun cdyoehk fedr sa. Ra--E tuh'd drehg ra ihtancdyhtc aqyldmo fryd ra'c necgehk ev ra cdyoc. ((**Well, I want him to stay, but I don't want him to get killed for staying with me. He--I don't think he understands exactly what he's risking if he stays.**))"

She grunted in frustration, either at the piece that just wouldn't fit, or Vidina's stubborn attitude. Or maybe both. "Yht E naymmo fyhd res du cdyo. E's zicd hud cina fro. Syopa ra'c nekrd, syopa ed tuac kad muhamo ib rana cusadesac.((**And I really want him to stay. I'm just not sure why. Maybe he's right, maybe it does get lonely up here sometimes.**))"

She sighed, a resigning sigh that let her feelings be known to no one but herself and that empty engine room.

"E kiacc E'ja hajan naymmo paah kuut yd maddehk ku. ((**I guess I've never really been good at letting go.**))

* * *

Some time later, Nyeha climbed up to the deck, to find Vidina sitting there, staring off into the distance as the sky began to glow with a faint morning light. She smiled softly, almost comforted by the sight of him. Remembering what she had come up there to say, she frowned a little.

"Vidina, I'm sorry. I've treated you awful ever since you saved me, and you didn't deserve any of that. I'm sorry." Even though her speech came rushed, she still felt better about having said what she meant to say.

"No, Nyeha, I think I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have acted all high and mighty, like I understood what you were going through. I'm the one who should apologize."

In a silence that didn't seem awkward or empty, she sat beside him as they watched the sun rise on the horizon. But it seemed that the moment the sun poked over the place where the sea met the sky, the smile disappeared once more and tears were spilling down her face.

"Nyeha, what's—" Vidina placed a hand on her shoulder, all at once unsure of what to do.

"When—when I touched the glass…I—I saw things. I had visions. I saw—I saw Sin. I saw Kilika destroyed, I saw—I—I saw…" She closed her eyes, and looked down, almost unable to continue. "I saw Lady Yuna. She performed the sending for the people who were killed."

"Nyeha…" He wrapped his arms around her, and held her as she cried into his shoulder. He was still unsure of what to say that might make her feel better, to take away the painful things she had experienced. "Please, let me stay with you."

And through the tears, she said, "I wouldn't dare say no."

**A/N: Aww…..how sweet….**


	7. Chapter 6: Companions

**A/N: Back again. I really should update my other story, for it seems that I have been writing a lot more on this one than the other one. And of course, I can't play favorites, can I? Ahem. Replies:**

**Imhotep Ardeth Bey**** Thanks. Major characters like Wakka and Lulu are sometimes hard to keep in-character, because it is the little things that brought them to life in the game. It's often hard to preserve things like speech habits and overall personality. Glad to know that someone appreciates the effort. **

**Jasmine107: Yup. I'm doing that at the beginning of this chapter, actually. And believe me, the Al Bhed have a whole different take on the situation. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Six:**

"_Companions"_

_Nara shoved Mekred in to see his mother, his head hung and shoulders drooping guiltily. "Ku uh. ((**Go on.**))"_

"_Pid—((**But--**))" _

"_Hu pidc, secdan. Huf damm ouin sudran fryd rybbahat. ((**No buts, mister. Now tell your mother what happened.**))"_

_Rikku lifted her head up, expressionless, except for her raised eyebrows. She decided not to make any assumptions until Mekred had told her what happened. The little thirteen year old had been prone to trouble as of late, and developed a mischievous personality that reminded herself of her own, when she was that age and living on Bikanel. Her son may have acted like her, but he was a spitting image of Gippal, right down to his eyes. _

"_E, ir, E mucd Nyeha. ((**I, uh, I lost Nyeha.**))"_

"_Oui mucd ouin cecdan? Ruf tet oui syhyka dryd? ((**You lost your sister? How did you manage that?**))" Rikku asked, her eyebrows raised. Nara found it odd that Rikku didn't seem the least bit concerned about her daughter. Nara reasoned that Rikku probably had it under control. After all, there was a lot about Rikku that the rest of the Al Bhed never seemed to understand. "Nara, luimt oui aqlica ic vun y susahd? E haat du cbayg du Mekred ymuha. ((**Nara, could you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak to Mekred alone.**))"_

_Nara shrugged. "Hud y bnupmas, Rikku. ((**Not a problem, Rikku.**))" She let herself out, leaving mother and son to speak alone. _

"_E's--E's jano bnuit uv ouin cecdan. Cra duug dra ehedeydeja, ajah druikr cra ec necgehk ran meva. ((**I'm--I'm very proud of your sister. She took the initiative, even though she is risking her life.**))" Rikku mumbled, halfway to herself. _

"_Oui ghuf frana cra ec? ((**You know where she is?**))" Mekred asked, sounding surprised. He was beginning to think that he was missing something here, and that there was more to this than what could be seen at face value. _

"_Ouin cecdan, cra, famm, cra aclybat. Cra duug dra yencreb yht vmaf uid uv drec ecmyht-bnecuh. ((**Your sister, she, well, she escaped. She took the airship and flew out of this island-prison.**))" Rikku said softly, but so sure of herself that Mekred could not deny that he believed her. _

"_Pid--ruf tet cra--frana ec cra huf? Femm cra pa lusehk pylg? Fro lyh'd E ryja kuha duu? E ghuf E luimt ryja rambat, o'ghuf, fedr so—((**But--how did she--where is she now? Will she be coming back? Why can't I have gone too? I know I could have helped, y'know, with my--**))" But he was cut off by his mother._

"_E ghuf, Mekred. Pid zicd palyica oui teth'd ku fedr ran tuach'd sayh dryd oui lyh'd ramb. Eh vyld, ouin--dymahd--ec halaccyno du lusbmada bynd uv ran aclyba bmyh. Uha uv dra Cbenyh kiyntc, y vasyma, haatc du palusa uha uv ic. ((**I know, Mekred. But just because you didn't go with her doesn't mean that you can't help. In fact, your--talent--is necessary to complete part of her escape plan. One of the Spiran guards, a female, needs to become one of us.**))"_

"_Cu E haat du—((**So I need to--**))"_

"_Oac, Mekred. Anyca ran sasuno. ((**Yes, Mekred. Erase her memory**.))"_

* * *

After washing the blood out of her shirt, Nyeha decided that she wanted to go back to the village.

"What?" Vidina asked. She had been so forceful about getting on the airship, and leaving before the sun came up. All of a sudden, she wanted to go back to the village?

"Why not? The airship's fixed, at least, as far as it's going to be for a while. And chances are, I'm not going to be back here before I'm killed, captured or arrested, so I might as well enjoy Kilika while I can." And her logic seemed to make sense, even the part about getting killed. There didn't seem like much of a way around it if her secret was discovered, and it bothered Vidina greatly.

"And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to thank Cahake…" Vidina grumbled, even though thinking about Cahake made him feel extremely cross and bitter.

"Who?" Nyeha asked, cocking her head slightly. Vidina suddenly remembered that Nyeha had been unconscious when they had come across Cahake. Well, it had really been the other way around.

"Er, Cahake helped get you to the healer's hut, after you were wounded." Vidina said. He felt bad that Nyeha would soon discover that Cahake was the real hero here, and Vidina, the clumsy idiot didn't have much to do with saving her at all.

"You're right. We can't just run off without thanking him properly." Nyeha said. She slid off the deck of the airship into the ocean below. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the sky was splotched with pretty oranges and reds. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Vidina said, with a slight uneasiness to his voice. He had a bad feeling about this already.

* * *

They had just reached the village when they ran into Cahake. A pang of dread resonated throughout Vidina's body as Cahake's blue eyes met his, recognition shining through them. "Vidina! Nice to see you." Cahake's smile was bright and genuine, like the morning sun. "And you," he said, his eyes falling on Nyeha. "I never learned your name, but it is nice to see you on your feet again!"

She blushed slightly at the attention she was getting. "It's Nyeha."

"Well, it sure is nice to see that you've recovered. I was worried about you. It was such a nasty wound." Cahake said. An air of awkward silence seemed to fill the space between the three, but he waved it away immediately. "If I may ask, where are you two headed?"

"Luca." Nyeha answered, but there were pink splotches on her face. Apparently, she had been caught off guard, but Vidina didn't think Cahake would notice.

"What a coincidence!" Cahake exclaimed, and Vidina groaned inwardly. "I'm headed to Luca as well! Are you going for blitzball season?"

"Yeah." Vidina said, jumping in to lie this time. "Just to watch, though. My dad used to be captain of the Besaid Aurochs." He reasoned that he wasn't exactly lying. Maybe they would get to watch some blitzball while they were in Luca, and his dad _had _been the captain of the Aurochs. A long, long time ago.

"Are you taking the ferry? It's leaving today."

Vidina and Nyeha exchanged a glance, one that said, 'Well,-we-can't-exactly-tell-him-we-were-planning-to-go-by-way-of-stolen-airship.'

"Yes, yes we are." Nyeha said, with a slight defiance to her voice. "We came out here to get an early start."

"Me too!" Cahake said. This guy was really starting to get on Vidina's nerves. "I'm leaving on the ferry today too. I play for Kilika's blitzball team, so I leave for Luca every year to play through the season."

After another moment of awkward silence, Nyeha said nervously, "Uhm, please excuse me. I need to buy some things from the general store." And she set off walking in the direction from which Cahake had come.

Once she was out of earshot, Cahake said to Vidina, "You're lucky."

Vidina, who had been lost in thought, replied, "Huh?"

"You're lucky, to be traveling with her."

Unsure of what to say, Vidina simply said, "Thanks, I guess."

A mischevious grin appeared on Cahake's face. "Well, you're not the only one traveling with her now." He paused. "Please excuse me." He said, walking off in the opposite direction he had come, leaving Vidina by himself to try and figure out exactly what had been said.

**A/N: Geez, that was a short chapter. Oh well. It was kinda dense, anyway. **


	8. Chapter 7: Ready or Not

**A/N: Sorry about the excruciatingly long wait, I kind of played favorites and decided to finish my other story, Next to Nothing, before I took this one back up. **

**Imhotep Ardeth Bey:**** My deepest apologies and consolation to your unhappiness and disappointment with my chapter, but it served its purpose. For argument's sake, you might want to read over your reviews before you send them, because it's a little hard to take you seriously on that particular issue when you spell ridiculous wrong. **

**Orgo:**** Thanks! I hope you stick around, because this story is going to get far more than interesting! **

**Forgotten Lies:**** Don't worry, I don't forget little details like that. This is actually the third draft of this story, so I hope I catch little things like that. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Seven:**

"_Ready or Not…"_

"Are you ready?"

Nyeha jumped when she heard the voice behind her. She recognized it instantly, and relaxed again, but she mentally reprimanded herself for being so easily startled. She continued to examine the wares in the general store, and answered Vidina without caring to look back at him.

"And what exactly do you mean by _that?_"

Vidina was silent, probably thinking for a moment, when he walked up beside her and said quietly,

"I suppose you _could _take that more than one way, couldn't you? I meant to ask if you were done in here," He paused, gesturing to the shelf in front of them, "and obviously, you're not, but I suppose you could see a double meaning there."

"What?" Nyeha asked, because she had not thought through his words as much as he had, apparently.

"It starts here, doesn't it?" Vidina said thoughtfully, more quiet than before. He took a glance at the shop owner, who was bustling around in the back of the store. "Once we get on that boat, our adventure begins, doesn't it? There's no turning back, is there? We can't exactly come back for the airship, not unless we're prepared to fix it. Are you ready?"

Nyeha stared at him for a moment, as if wondering how he was capable of such deep, sentimental thoughts. "I don't think I'll ever really be ready," She said weakly, "but I'll go anyway."

"At least you're brave." Vidina said thoughtfully, cocking his head slightly and smiling. "How do you plan on paying for that?" He gestured to the necklace she had in her hand, which apparently guarded against Silence.

"With gil, moron." Nyeha rolled her eyes.

"Let me rephrase my question," Vidina said, lowering his voice even further, "how in the world did you get a hold of gil?"

"You're better off not knowing." Nyeha said, and without another word, she swiftly left him in silence as she walked to the shop owner to pay for the necklace and a few potions. He watched as she dug the right amount of gil out of her bag, taking a short instant to throw him a glance. Maybe he was better off not knowing, after all. She walked back over to him, smiling with something like triumph. "You ready?"

Before he could answer, the steam whistle of the ferry blew through the town, and Nyeha's expression changed to something that hinted she was suppressing the urge to swear in Al Bhed. "C'mon." She said, grabbing his wrist and hurrying in the direction of the door. "If we miss this ferry, I'll never forgive you."

As they ran over the bridge, across the canal and towards the ferry port, Vidina protested, "How is this _my _fault?! You're the one who took so long in the general store!"

But rather than admit he was right, she looked back at him and said simply, "Oh, I'm sure you had _something _to do with it."

They skidded to a stop in front of the gangplank, where one of the ship crew was standing, prepared to take peoples' gil for the trip. With his eyebrows raised slightly, he asked a panting Nyeha, "Will that be one cabin, or two?"

She seemed to think a moment, and shook her bag of gil slightly. Vidina wondered why the ship crew had asked Nyeha, like he didn't have any say in the matter. He thought for a moment. She _did _have an air of authority about her, and he realized that he didn't have a say in any decision Nyeha made, and the ship crew had been able to figure that out.

"Er, one." She said, glancing down at the bag of gil nervously. Vidina, his eyes wide and confusion written all over his face, couldn't quite seem to get Nyeha's attention as she counted out the gil. The ship crew gave him a sharp nod, and they crossed the gangplank, and as soon as they set foot on the ship, he began whispering furiously.

"What was that for? We can't share a cabin! Are you insane?" Nyeha only glared back for a moment, and he realized that they were now on a boat, and she could throw him off at a moment's notice, before anyone could do anything. And that thought scared him a little bit.

"As a matter of fact, I didn't really want to share a cabin with the likes of you _either. _I only had enough gil for one, and I have no idea how we're going to get along in Luca, everything is so much more expensive there." She took a left and began walking down the stairs to the cabins. She chose the third one on the right, and pushed open the door to reveal a small, rectangular room about seven feet by ten feet. And a single bed. A single damn bed.

"I'll sleep on the floor." Vidina said hurriedly.

"Pfft. I'm not about to stop you." She said, as she set her bag at the end of the bed. Vidina collapsed against the wall, letting himself slide down into a sitting position across the room from the bed. Nyeha sat on the bed, and slowly began taking off her shoes. She discarded them on the floor without much care or thought. She delicately removed her socks, and revealed that her feet and legs were covered in calluses, cuts and bruises.

"How did that happen?" He said, slightly startled. It looked like she had gotten in a fight…only…some of the injuries appeared to be older than others. Had the Yevonites—

Nyeha laughed mirthlessly. "And you think the rest of Spira would let us live on the island-prison like it was some kind of vacation? No, we worked full days in the deserts, from the time we turned twelve."

Vidina was just as shocked by this news. "We—they—they never told us that was going on!"

She, however, didn't seem surprised. "Because you might have actually done something about it, had you known it was going on. But everyone else, back on Bikanel, they think that the Spirans are evil, that the Yevonites really _did _tell you about the way they treat us, and that the Spirans just don't care." She sighed, "And that's exactly why I set out. I—I wanted to see for myself. I didn't believe everyone else, but I had to prove it to them, see everything with my own eyes, and live it for myself. And I found that you Spirans really aren't that bad, after all." She smiled, "Just ignorant. So who better to spread the news than the daughter of Rikku, and the 'crown princess' of the Al Bhed?"

Vidina smiled. "Point taken. And—I suppose—who better to assist you than the son of Rikku's companions and fellow guardians? Although," He chuckled, "I'm not really the 'crown prince' of anything."

Nyeha smiled, slightly amused, "Tysh, vidina-puo naymmo ec tadansehat du cdelg fedr sa, ech'd ra? ((**Damn, future-boy really is determined to stick with me, isn't he?**))"

He stared at her for a moment, still smiling at his own joke, as though he was phrasing a question. And he was.

"I've always wanted to know what you're saying, when you talk in Al Bhed. I mean, Yevon knows what you're_ really_ saying, when you say my name." Vidina asked, "So, if it's not too much trouble, could you teach me Al Bhed?"

"Oac." She said, smiling.

"What?"

"It means, 'yes'"

* * *

And thus, the Al Bhed lessons began.

The sat cross-legged on the floor, sitting across from each other, Nyeha's hands in her lap and small smiles on both their faces.

"Oui. ((**You**))." Nyeha said, pointing to Vidina.

"Me?" He asked, pointing to himself.

"No, no, moron. Oui. You."

"Oh, right."

"Sa. ((**Me**))" She said, pointing to herself.

"Me?" He asked, taking a guess.

"Right. Oui." She said, pointing to him, "Sa." She said, pointing back to herself.

"Oui." He pointed to her, paused for a moment, and pointed to himself. "Sa."

"Right." Nyeha said, giving him a smile and a little nod.

"Hmpf." Vidina said smugly, proud of his small accomplishment. "This could work out nicely."


	9. Chapter 8: Homesickness

**A/N: Replies:**

**xenolion: Thanks for taking the time to read my story, and I'm glad you have a lot of questions. I'm sure you do. In fact, I have plenty of questions myself. :)**

**Ogro: You may not have realized it, but that comment about Nyeha was about the greatest compliment I've gotten on this story. Yes, she's supposed to be bitchy, that's just part of how she is, but yes, it will get better, with time. XD This story will be my focus for quite some time, but it's been demanded that I write a sequel to the story I just finished, but that will happen on the side, because this story needs some love too. **

**Forgotten Lies: Thanks, the Al Bhed lessons are a lot of fun to write. Between you and me and anyone else who actually reads these, in the first draft, it was the other way around, and Vidina taught Nyeha Spiran. But as I wrote the second draft, I looked back on that and it didn't really make much sense. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Eight:**

"_Homesickness"_

Nyeha and Vidina stood side by side on the deck of the ship, each leaning on the railing and staring out to sea. In silence. This, although they had not known each other very long, was still a rare occasion. _Standing beside each other,_ Vidina mused, _we probably look like strangers. We're so different, but really, we're not. We both left our homes in favor of the prospect of adventure, but for different reasons. _

But his highly philosophical thoughts were interrupted by none other than Cahake. His blue eyes shining, he tapped both of the escapees on their shoulders, and as they turned to look at him, he said triumphantly, "I'm glad I found you guys."

"Nice to see you too." Vidina said, with a slight stiffness. Nyeha, seemed to be caught in a trance by the ocean, took a moment to nod in Cahake's direction, but turned back to stare at the sea, a distant look in her green eyes. There was a long moment of awkward silence, in which Cahake seemed to discover that neither of them were up to making conversation. He coughed, to try and get their attention, but it seemed fruitless, and he sighed.

"Do you play much blitzball?" Cahake asked Vidina, and he turned back, realizing that there was no polite way to blow off a direct question like that. "I mean, I know your dad was Captain of the Aurouchs, but…"

"No, I don't, not really." He replied flatly. More awkward silence followed, and at last, the blue-eyed Kilikan scoffed.

"Y'know, if you two wanted to be left alone, you could have said so…" And he walked off, sounding hurt, but immediately started talking to a Kilikan girl not far off.

Vidina sighed resignedly. "I suppose we should have been nicer to Cahake, he saved your life, after all…"

Nyeha looked over at him, "Cahake was here?" She said, looking innocent, but her tone betraying that she, too, had been ignoring Cahake. "Ah, well, we can apologize later." And at once, her face relaxed and she continued staring out into the distance.

"I don't mean to be nosey," Vidina began.

"I'm sure you are."

Ignoring Nyeha's interruption, he continued, "What exactly are you looking at?"

"I'm not _looking _at anything. But did it ever occur to you that we're in the same ocean as our islands? Somewhere across that stretch of water, it's where we came from, but now, it's far too late to go back." Vidina couldn't ignore the distinct tone of loneliness in her voice, of longing, and he realized that he too missed his home and all its accompanying comforts. "It's out there somewhere. Rusa."

"And what, exactly, does that mean?" Vidina asked, curious at the sudden Al Bhed lesson.

She pointed out at the ocean. "It means 'home'."

They headed back to the room, shortly after.

Vidina found it weird that, even in his own mind, he seemed to think of themselves as one person, one unit, living and breathing as one. They didn't want to get separated from each other, he reasoned, simply because neither of them could make it out on their own. They still couldn't when they were together, but at least they could face the outside world together, and that somehow made it all easier.

Nyeha removed her shoes again, clenching her teeth while she did it. He hadn't noticed how much in pain she looked, but he hadn't exactly been paying attention the first time. He began to wonder what the scar on her arm was from, but he decided it was probably a sensitive subject.

"So, future-boy, I've told you about the island-prison. But what's your island like? Your family?" She asked happily, like she wasn't just trying to make conversation, like she meant what she was saying.

"Well, you see, in my family, my mom, Lulu, she's the tough one. She's the authority, but it's always for my own good. She's strict, but fair. She doesn't really talk a lot, but when she does, she always means what she says. She's kinda got a short fuse, and she's quick to blow up when I do something wrong." He shuddered, apparently in memory of a past event, "And my dad, Wakka, is the opposite. He's always the one to jump in my defense, probably because I act like him, a lot of the time. He says that he's done a lot of stupid things in his life, and he understands that I will too." Vidina thought for a moment, "He's never really explained the 'big mistakes' he's made in the past, but I think it has something to do with the pilgrimage. Come to think of it, neither my mom or my dad will talk much about the pilgrimage. I suppose it would be hard, what with Yuna gone…" He trailed off, "Does your mom ever talk about the pilgrimage?"

Nyeha, who had been listening intently, thought for a minute before answering. "Every now and then, she does. But it's mostly about Yuna. I've only ever heard your dad's name mentioned once or twice…" She trailed off as well, turning her head, as though she didn't really want to mention what had been said. Vidina remained silent, but gazed at her curiously, and she couldn't stand it. She sighed. "She said—she said that when she first joined the pilgrimage, she kept her race a secret from Wakka, because she was afraid he would judge her just by the fact that she was Al Bhed." She looked back at him. "She says your father _hated _the Al Bhed. That he said it was _our _fault that his brother died, because he fought with machina. When he found out about her secret, he got really angry, and she said it was so hard to forgive him for that. And it's happened again, this anger at the Al Bhed, though on a much larger scale. But we knew there was hope, because Wakka had been able to forgive her and even _befriend _her. She said 'Well, if a true ass like Wakka can pull himself together and change, I'm sure the rest of Spira can.'"

"Are you homesick too?" Vidina asked suddenly, out of the blue.

"I am, I am." Nyeha said, looking down sadly. "But mostly because—because I'm not sure I'll ever get to go back…"

"Don't say that…" Vidina said, "Go on, and teach me some more Al Bhed. I could use some lessons."

"Alright." Nyeha said, inwardly deciding that it would soothe her nerves to deal with something she was so familiar with. "Um…" She said, unsure of where to begin. She thought for a moment, and for a short instant, something like realization dawned on her face, but it was soon masked by a look of concern. "I'm probably one of the few people who still know about this, so it may not be wise to—" She cut herself off, and thought for another moment, "But I suppose I can trust you."

"What exactly are you—"

"Don't interrupt me. I was just getting around to it." Nyeha paused again, and got up and walked over to her bag. She shuffled around inside it and pulled out a small notebook and a pencil. "There are direct connections between Spiran and Al Bhed. Twenty-six direct connections, actually." She began writing on the paper, but Vidina couldn't see what she was scribbling. "Al Bhed is not so much a language, as it is a code. I don't know when it was created, or why, but I do know that no one outside of Bikanel knows this language. In a crisis, this would be our best way to communicate, so no one else would know what we were saying."

"You talk like a crisis is inevitable." Vidina said uneasily.

"It is." Nyeha said briskly, "But I think we have the upper hand, here. The Yevonites probably haven't realized my disappearance yet, and even when they do, they won't be going public saying that there's an escaped Al Bhed wandering around Spira. That would make them look bad." She finished scribbling, and handed the notebook to him.

A - E N - R  
B - P O - Y  
C - S P - B  
D - T Q - W  
E - I R - H  
F - W S - M  
G - K T - D  
H - N U - O  
I - U V - F  
J - V W - X  
K - G X - Q  
L - C Y - A  
M - L Z – G

After waiting a few seconds, Nyeha spoke slowly and carefully, clearly enunciating every syllable for him. "Huf, lyh oui damm fryd E's cyoehk? ((**Now, can you tell what I'm saying?**))"

Vidina scribbled down the words as she said them. He paused for a long moment, his eyes darting across the page, and within a couple of minutes, he came up with an answer. "Oac, oac E lyh. ((**Yes, yes I can.**))"

"Kuut, kuut. Yna oui y xielg cdito? ((**Good, good. Are you a quick study?**))" Nyeha asked, still speaking very slowly, but unable to hide the excitement in her voice. She realized in the back of her mind, that she was making history, here.

"E cibbuca.((**I suppose.**))" He said, cringing slightly at the thought. He paused a little longer, and then said, "Drec femm dyga cusa bnyldela ((**This will take some practice.**))" His words were still oddly separated, but Nyeha was excited to hear Vidina speak in her native tongue. Switching back to Spiran, she said,

"Don't worry, we have some time. You're doing great." She gushed, and Vidina was slightly surprised by her sudden show of praise.

He paused, still looking at the paper, and then said, "Ev oui cyo cu, Nyeha. ((**If you say so, Nyeha.**))"


	10. Chapter 9: Beauty Elegance and Fireworks

**A/N: Replies:**

**Ogro:**** I'm definitely glad you did. Yeah, Nyeha and Vidina have a rough road ahead of them. Believe me, I'm just getting started. Oh, thanks, I made that comment up on the spot:D**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Nine**:

"_Beauty, Elegance, and Firecrackers"_

They 'conversed' until nightfall.

"You're really getting good at this, you know?" Nyeha said. Vidina had far surpassed her expectations. He was looking at the paper less, and his sentences had smoothed out in the hours they had talked. _If you close your eyes and ignore his accent, he sounds like a native. _She said, smiling to herself.

"It's not as hard as I thought it would be." Vidina admitted, "Tet oui ghuf dryd Lady Yuna maynhat Al Bhed? ((**Did you know that Lady Yuna learned Al Bhed?**))"

"Hu, E teth'd! ((**No, I didn't!**))" She exclaimed, slightly surprised.

"That's kind of what's driven me to learn. And, I want to be able to understand when you ramble in Al Bhed." Vidina said, smiling. There was a moment of silence, and then he spoke again. "Oui muug aqryicdat, Nyeha. ((**You look exhausted, Nyeha**.))"

"E's hud denat. Fryd'na oui dymgehk ypuid? ((**I'm not tired. What're you talking about?**))" She protested, but suppressing a yawn while she did so. "Ymnekrd, E caa ouin buehd. ((**Alright, I see your point.**))"

"Oui'ja paah drnuikr ymud draca bycd vaf tyoc, Nyeha. ((**You're been through a lot these past few days, Nyeha.**))" He said thoughtfully, comfortingly.

"I suppose you're right, Vidina."

"Of course I am."

"Shut up."

* * *

Something jarred Vidina from his slumber. A noise, he decided. And it was far too soon to wake up, wasn't it? What in the world was someone setting off that steam whistle this early in the morning? 

He sat up, to see that the bed beside him was empty, but unmade, and light flowed into the room from a window somewhere above his head. It wasn't really that early, was it? Where was Nyeha? He decided that he wouldn't find out until he actually got up, so he stood up and walked out the door, to find the hallway equally as empty.

Unlike most of the residents of Besaid, Vidina had a hard time waking up. Left alone, he could easily sleep the day away, and think nothing of it. But neither of his parents, both avid "morning people", could not stand to see him sleep past sunrise, and woke him up accordingly. He walked up the steps and glanced around the deck, but still could not locate Nyeha. The steam whistle went off again, and as he turned to face the source of the noise, he found Nyeha. She was standing on top of the small building that housed the captain's quarters, pulling a string that let the whistle ring over the ship and the surrounding area.

"There you are!" She shouted. He glanced around once more, and realized that he wasn't the only one staring at her. Without giving it a second thought, she leaped off of the building and walked over to him. "I was beginning to think that even _that _wouldn't wake you up."

"You tried to wake me up?" Vidina asked, surprised, because he had not remembered anything of the sort. Nyeha giggled.

"Yup. For a while, I was worried that you were in a coma." For a moment, Vidina imagined Nyeha weeping profusely over his unmoving body. But it passed. After a moment of silence, Vidina broke it by asking,

"So, Nyeha, why exactly did you wake me up?" His voice was a mixture of curiosity, concern and annoyance. Although the most prominent was the third.

"We're going to be in Luca soon. I wanted to tell you." She paused, "I suppose I was just a little bit overexcited." She added thoughtfully.

"It's understandable," Vidina began, suddenly sympathetic, "it's our first time in Luca." Nyeha glared at him, and he was scared he had said too much. It was a glare that was simply meant to keep him from going on, but it still shut him up really quick. _Sometimes, _he decided, _I forget our 'situation'. I forget that this isn't just some vacation with a good friend. I have to keep a better check on what I say. If Nyeha was captured because of something I said, I would never forgive myself. _

"Sorry." Nyeha said aloud, and anyone not paying extremely close attention would be confused, because she had apologized for nothing in particular. "I'm just—scared, I suppose."

"Don't worry, I would be too." Vidina confessed. _But in truth,_ he thought, _I wouldn't even have left the island if I was in her place. I could never be as strong as she is. _

The steam whistle sounded again, and as the two turned, they caught sight of the approaching city.

"Wow." One word escaped Vidina's lips, as the duo stared in awe at the second-biggest city in Spira. In the center was the great blitzball stadium, rising high into the sky like a great dome, and surrounding it and branching out from it were shops, plazas and streets.

"It's beautiful," Nyeha said, and as Vidina turned to glance at her, he couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

The first thing Nyeha said after stepping on the dock simply asserted her elegance, and her obvious way with words. 

"Damn, everyone's dressed funny."

Vidina looked back at her, staring at her for a moment, but from the scrutinizing look on her face, she was dead serious.

"No, Nyeha, I believe that in this situation, _you _are the one that's dressed funny."

She looked down and examined her desert-worn clothes, tugging at her tiny black skirt slightly. "I suppose you're right." She sighed and looked at him, "I suppose I should buy some clothes, shouldn't I?" She glanced around the dock for a moment, and then decidedly began walking. "Heaven forbid."

And Vidina couldn't even tell if she was kidding or not.

* * *

Vidina lost her in the West Plaza. 

He really didn't mean to, but Luca was crowded in the mid-morning, and Nyeha's head of sun-bleached hair blended in with all of the others, and all of a sudden, he couldn't find her. He looked around in panic, unsure of where to look. How could she have disappeared into thin air? He asked himself, glancing around in every direction. He had no idea where she was, and to top it all off, she was the one carrying the gil. If she got captured when he wasn't there to help her—

And then all of a sudden, something exploded.

Vidina hadn't heard anything like it before. It sounded something like a cross between a cannon, a gunshot and a firecracker. There were many turned heads, and from the Luca natives came a string of swear words, and occasionally what sounded like 'Scintilla'. Another explosion went off about twenty feet away from him, a slightly smaller one, but this time accompanied by a flash of white light. All interest in finding Nyeha was lost, and he seemed to have located the source of the explosions when he found a girl about four years younger than him, holding an open box of matches and cowering on the ground in front of what looked like a Lucan Security Officer. You had to feel sorry for her, honestly.

Her hair, orange at the roots, faded to yellow and then to white at the very tips. Her face seemed to be covered with what looked like ashes, and her hands seemed to be burned all over. Her big green eyes were widened in fear as the Lucan security man (who seemed to be roughly two feet taller than her) yelled at her.

"FORBIDDEN! FORBIDDEN, SCINTILLA. THE USE OF THE '_FORBIDDEN_' FIRECRACKERS IS PROHIBITED FOR A REASON! YOU SHOULD BE JAILED FOR THE USE OF SUCH MACHINA!" Oh, now there was a word Vidina recognized. Machina, machina…he searched his mind for the memory. Of course! Nyeha had referred to the airship and its parts as 'machina'. What did this girl have to do with the Al Bhed and their machina? The Officer cleared his throat. "Hand them here."

"What do you mean?" the girl said in a soft, high, sugar-sweet voice.

"The matches, Scintilla." The officer said, his eyes narrowed with impatience.

"Oh, the _matches. _Why didn't you say so?" She said, every word dripping with sugarcoated innocence. She stood up and handed him the box of matches she had been gripping in her left hand. As she dusted off her orange skirt, the officer said,

"Pockets, too."

"Goddamn, you all think of everything." The girl replied, the innocent tone abandoned once and for all. She pulled a second, and a third box of matches out of the pockets of her skirt, along with what appeared to be another firecracker.

"That's why they don't make every average monkey an Officer, Scintilla." The Officer replied patiently. Everything about this situation seemed to betray that she was a repeat offender.

As she placed the matches and firecrackers in his hand, she smirked and said, "Wow, could have fooled me." She smirked and skipped off down the West Plaza, and the group of people who had been watching the entertainment was shooed off by the officer, and things quickly returned to normal. Vidina himself began to walk away, but the girl jumped in front of him and addressed him immediately.

"Now, there's a fresh face. You're not from around here, are you?" Her voice startled Vidina, and he jumped back slightly. She was even shorter up close, he discovered, and her tanned skin seemed to resemble Nyeha's. Oh, right. He was looking for Nyeha.

"No, actually, I'm not. I've lost a friend of mine; do you think you could help me find her?"

"Sure, of course!" the girl said eagerly, "My name is Scintilla, if you hadn't figured that out yourself." She smirked again slightly.

"I'm Vidina, from Besaid."

"Vidina?" She asked, curiously, "That doesn't sound like a very common name."

"Neither does Scintilla." Vidina replied.

"Point taken." She smiled, and shrugged.

* * *

They found Nyeha in a clothing store, on the very south end of the West Plaza. 

"I'm glad we found you." Vidina said, sounding relieved. "I was—worried."

Ignoring him completely, Nyeha asked, looking at Scintilla, "Who is this?"

"This is Scintilla." Vidina said, stepping in to answer. "She helped me find you, I had gotten lost in the plaza." Looking her up and down, Nyeha said,

"You were the one who set off those fireworks, weren't you?" She sounded distinctly disapproving, which he found strange, because he wouldn't put it past Nyeha herself to set of firecrackers in the middle of a crowded plaza. "Where exactly did you get them?" She said, as she pulled a white jacket off of the rack beside her.

Scintilla stepped in to speak for the first time in her conversation with Nyeha. "Why would I tell you, anyway? You would probably just run and tell the Officers. I'd hate for my source to get locked up."

To which Nyeha replied stiffly, "Fair enough." But there was definitely a glare somewhere behind her eyes, and it showed. Vidina was beyond confused. He looked back and forth, from Scintilla to Nyeha, and made no attempt to hide the baffled look on his face.

He was going to have an interesting stay here in Luca.

He could tell already.


	11. Chapter 10: The Rain Girl

**A/N: Ahh, how I love writing the fic. XP**

**Ogro: Go ahead and feel sorry for Vidina. He deserves it. We will get to some decent action, but this will be a longish story, and I'm just getting started. :D **

**Pray for Rain**

**Chapter Ten**:

_"The Rain Girl"_

It was Nyeha who broke the stare, and Vidina was pretty sure that she would never forgive herself. Turning her gaze of death away from the smaller girl, she yanked his wrist with surprising force and dragged him out of said clothing shop, leaving to him to only shout to Scintilla,

"I suppose we'll see you around, then!" As he waved to Scintilla and Nyeha dragged him backwards out the doorway, Nyeha suddenly stopped, and caused Vidina to crash into her. Nyeha didn't move, not even turn her head to swear, so Vidina assumed something must be up. He brushed himself off, and turned. He saw before him the person he least wanted to see at the moment.

"I see you two have found your way around the city." Cahake said, flipping his dark hair back from his bright blue eyes. His hair fell back into place in front of his eyes, and Vidina decided that that could become _very _annoying.

"We have, thank you." Nyeha said politely, but Vidina could sense the sarcasm hidden safely behind her voice. He suppressed the urge to laugh.

"Very nice change in attire, Nyeha." Cahake commented, with a nod in her direction, and Vidina stiffened.

"Actually, Cahake, could you point us in the direction of a hotel? We were looking to get a room." Vidina said, with only half a smile and Nyeha looked at him oddly for a moment, and then shook her head. Cahake thought for a moment.

"You'll want to look in the North Plaza; there are two or three hotels there. I'm staying in the first one on the right, if you need me. Just ask for Cahake, they know who I am." He paused, thinking for a moment. "You two should come to the game later today. These are perfect conditions, and we're ready to start the season off with a good game."

"We'd love to come." Nyeha interjected, before Vidina could draw breath to object. She threw a glance at him, one of disapproval. He glared back. Honestly! He hadn't even said anything! Since when could she read his mind?! He fumed for a moment. "We'll drop our stuff off in a hotel, and we'll meet you at the stadium." Nyeha said sweetly. She walked off, and, as an afterthought, turned and waved to the Kilikan Blitzball player.

_

* * *

BANG! _

_Wakka and Lulu woke with a start. "Who could be calling at this hour?" Lulu said, groaning slightly. She looked out the window, and only a faint pinkish light glowed on the horizon. _

"'_s probably those damn Counselors, no sense of decency…" _

_BANG!_

_BANG! _

_The knocking continued, sounding more demanding by the second. Lulu hurried over and opened the door, to see a finely dressed Bevelle Counselor standing in the doorway of their humble Besaidian home. "May I come in?"_

"_No, you may not." Lulu said in a stern, cold voice that left no room for questioning. Something flashed across the Counselor's face, but they quickly remembered who they were dealing with, and confined to standing in the doorway. _

"_As a former member of the late High Summoner's pilgrimage, and a member of the High Advisory Board—" the Counselor paused, choking on his words slightly, as if forcing them out, "I am required to inform you that there is an Al Bhed that has escaped Bikanel. The daughter of another of the former High Summoner's guardians, Rikku. Nyeha." Lulu narrowed her eyes slightly, but the Counselor didn't quite know what to think, "She is thought to be flying a stolen airship, none other than—" It became apparent that this was the Counselor's greatest embarrassment, "None other than the Celcius." The Counselor bowed his head in shame, crumbling under Lulu's icy glare. _

"_You mean to tell me—" Lulu began, hardly able to hide her curiosity, "that under your 'impenetrable security', one of the Al Bhed, a _child, _no less, was able to escape and steal an airship without being detected?" _

_The Counselor kept his head bowed, as if afraid to look up. In fact, he probably was. "Yes—yes, ma'am."_

"_Then I'd either tighten up your security, or let those Al Bhed go free." The Counselor's head shot up, in shock of something so radical spoken so plainly. "Yes, I mean what I said. Good night." And she swiftly closed the door on the Counselor's face. _

"_You—you don't think—not—Vidina?" Wakka stuttered, too baffled to string words together to make a comprehendible sentence. But Lulu knew exactly what he meant. _

"_I think that's exactly what happened, Wakka." Lulu said, smiling slightly. And Wakka could tell, by the way her eyes shined, she was _proud.

"_Will he be okay, ya? With an Al Bhed, after all?" He sounded uncertain._

"_You were fine with an Al Bhed companion, weren't you?" Lulu reminded him. "Nothing has changed, Wakka. He's just as stubborn as his father, but just as strong, too."_

* * *

"One—one room." Nyeha said feebly, counting out the gil required to buy themselves a room. The clerk smiled, handed her a key, and they started up the stairs. Every now and then, she checked the room number on the key ring. 

"Are we almost there?" Vidina said, gasping for air, after climbing the fifth flight of stairs. Checking the room number one more time, Nyeha replied,

"Almost." After two more flights of stairs, they turned off of the stairwell, and began walking down the hallway. Vidina was astounded at the lush décor, having only been exposed to the humble Besaid Island all his life. Hell, the most decorated place on Besaid was the god-forbidden _temple. _"Seven—damn—flights—of—stairs—" She panted, as she turned the key in the lock of the room with the number 734.

She swung the door open to reveal a spacious room. The carpet was red with an intricate design depicting a dragon battle, the off-white wallpaper was flawlessly smoothed, and the bed near the left corner of the room seemed huge. This was definitely nicer than their cabin on the ferry, and their hotel room on Kilika before that.

"I'll take that." Vidina said, offering to take her bag, and when she handed it over, he took it to an ornately decorated wooden table. He glanced back at her, but her eyes seemed fixated on something on top of the bedspread. Her big, swirled green eyes seemed mesmerized, and he found with his eyes what she was looking at. A small white piece of paper lay innocently on the bedspread, and Nyeha's eyes flickered back and forth, filled with something that he thought might actually be fear. He decided to read it for himself. On it was written:

"To the Rain girl—

Lay low, or return home.

Make a scene,

And your future will be filled with pain.

—Syacdan

He glanced back up at Nyeha, to see her eyes fill with tears. He looked back down, and read the paper again. He cautiously picked it up, and pointed to the word 'Rain'. "Why is that capitalized? How do you even know that it's directed to you? It could just be some prank; people pull those all the time, where I come from, at least."

"You—you don't understand. It had to be directed to me, and from someone who knows my secret." Nyeha said, looking up at him, her normally tan skin now ghostly pale. "My given name—Nyeh, it's—it's the Al Bhed word for rain. Someone knows I'm here, someone is pulling the strings, someone who knows who I am…"

Vidina was quite unsure of what to say. He seemed to barely comprehend Nyeha's words, his mind numb with a dull panic. Someone was after Nyeha. The thought managed to pierce his numb mind. They had to get her home. "We can take the ferry back to Kilika, and from there we can take the airship back to Bikanel. You'll be fine, Nyeha, I promise."

But Nyeha had recovered from the initial shock of the threat, and seemed angered by the proposal. "I'm not sure you understand," She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and glared at him through narrowed eyes. For the second time in very few days, Vidina wondered if she was going to kill him. "I'm not exactly the kind for giving up. Is that how you think of me, that I would just scamper back to the island-prison at the first sign of danger? You bet your ass that I'm going to stay in the rest of Spira until—until—" Her resolve seemed to die all at once, and she let go of him. She seemed to fall apart at her own loss for words, her gaze seemed to fall, and her whole form seemed to droop. In the end, she sat on the bed, and began talking softly, without looking up.

"I—I left without really deciding—well—why I was leaving. I wanted to get out. I thought that once I was out in the outside world, I would just—know. From the moment I started out, I thought I knew what I was going to do, where I was going, but now—I'm not so sure. And I certainly didn't plan on a companion." She added as she looked up, smiling slightly.

Sitting beside her, Vidina said, "When you're on an adventure, like ours," He began, slowly, giving each word a moment of thought, "You don't always have to know where you're going, or what to expect. That's part of the adventure." He added, laughing slightly.

"I suppose you're—" She cut herself off, choosing to smirk instead, rather than admit he was right. "I suppose you're on to something, there."

"C'mon," Vidina said, "Let's go down to the beach."

* * *

Being at the beach seemed to reenergize the blonde Al Bhed girl. She took one look at the ocean, and closed her eyes as she breathed in the salty air. 

"It reminds you of home, doesn't it?" Vidina asked, as she opened them again.

"Yeah, yeah it does." She said honestly, but smiling all the same. She looked beautiful in the Lucan attire, Vidina decided. Under a light white jacket she layered shirts of many bright colors, the foremost being a stunning bright orange that brought attention to her green eyes. She had chosen a hot pink mini skirt to wear, with a color that almost seemed to blind Vidina in the bright sun. She seemed slightly uncomfortable in her new clothes, but he had to admit that she did—after all—look very beautiful.

While he had been staring off into the distance, Nyeha had sat down in the sand, at the water's edge, with her now bare feet buried in the wet sand, up to her ankles. At first, he thought this was odd, but after a short moment of realization, he figured that she was only doing this to cover up the scars on her feet, for they were noticeable and would attract awkward questions. Honestly, she was covered in scars now. In addition to the scar she had been given by the mysterious piece of glass, she had a scar snaking around her shoulder, one on her other arm, from her upper arm down through her elbow (that suggested the work of a knife, no less), in addition to various scars on her legs. Truly, she could pass for some kind of bounty hunter, if necessary.

"What're you staring at?" Nyeha said, with a slightly playful tone to her voice, as she looked over at him.

"Nothing." He waved his hand in the air, as if dismissing the matter, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was still staring stupidly at her, lost in thought.

"Vidina—" The playfulness was lost, and her tone sounded more serious and slightly scared. "Vidina, come here—" Vidina walked over, to where something had washed up on the beach beside her.

"Yevon help us—" He whispered.

It was a piece of glass.


	12. Chapter 11: Memories of You

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, finals are hell. **

**Mandyb78:**** Glad to hear from you again! I'm glad you look forward to reading this!**

**Xenolion:**** Thanks! Glad to hear from you, too!**

**Ogro:**** Wow. All I can say is, you're good at this. All I can say about your theories, as well as the ones presented by the two people above, is that I really, really enjoy knowing who's right, and who's not. ;)**

**Forgotten Lies:**** Well, I suppose you'll have to figure that one out on your own. ;)**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Eleven:**

"_Memories of You"_

In a split second, quite a few things happened, all at once.

First, Vidina reached into his pocket, and touched (with his fully gloved hand, no less) the piece of glass they had found on Kilika. Mysterious, haunting, but so very dangerous. He cried out, "Nyeha, don't touch that!" as an image of her blood on his hands flashed before his eyes. He wasn't going to let that happen again. When he saw her hand reaching for the glass, he leaped across the beach and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Are you insane?!" He asked, a cross between panicked, startled and angry. Her hand fell to her side, and her shoulders drooped slightly, in surrender. As he saw her head hanging like that, so innocently, he felt bad for shouting. "I'm sorry," he said, "I panicked. I didn't want you to get hurt again." But strangely enough, when she raised her head, it was not a look of remorse, on the contrary, her features twisted into a glare that proclaimed his ignorance.

"I'm not sure you understand." She said, each syllable weighted, as she reached for the glass. She picked it up, but nothing happened immediately. As if instinctively, she held it in front of her eyes and peered into it, her green eyes slightly magnified through the pinkish colored glass, and Vidina gazed into it as well.

He saw Yuna. He was sure of it.

_

* * *

_

_For a moment, they saw a younger looking Yuna, whistling beside a person that must have been Tidus, her famed lover from a thousand years ago. _

"_Wherever I go, Spira is full of places tied to my memories." Her voice was soft and melodic, but he didn't see her lips move. He realized she must have been thinking, and they could somehow hear her thoughts. _

_Her memories?_

"_Memories of my journey. Memories of you." She lifted her gaze and stared off into the distance once more. "Huh?" She said suddenly. Her lips seemed to move this time, because another woman responded. _

"_What's wrong?" The woman was dressed head to toe in black, and was carrying a menacing looking sword. Her short, boyish silver hair rustled slightly in the ocean wind, and her red eyes seemed to pierce the warm air. _

"_But—it's—you can't see it?" She stuttered. _

"_See what?" Another young woman asked, and Vidina, his hands still on Nyeha's shoulders, heard her gasp. For he, too, had realized who it was. It was none other than Nyeha's mother, Rikku. Her wild blond hair was braided, beaded and only harnessed by a large blue bandanna tied around her head. Her swirly green eyes seemed to match Nyeha's own, and she was dressed in a banana-yellow bikini and the shortest miniskirt he had ever seen. _

"_You need a break?" The woman in black asked, an amused, sarcastic edge to her voice, as if mimicking her sword. _

"_Wait here!" Yuna said, running off to follow whatever she seemed to have seen. _

_The image flashed before their eyes, and was replaced by another image of the younger Yuna and Tidus, standing side-by-side once more. He was teaching her how to whistle, but failing miserably. "If you ever need me," he said, "just whistle."_

"_These are our memories. Yours and mine." She said slowly, meaningfully. After a moment of thought, she continued hesitantly, "But...I don't think I'm ready to let them be memories yet. Maybe I'm confused, but...It's okay." _

"_What's with you?" The sword woman asked, the same edge to her voice. Vidina thought bitterly that maybe she just didn't understand what it was like to be in love, but Yuna didn't seem to mind. _

"_A dream, I think. My heart won't stop pounding!" Yuna said, halfway between panicked and just plain confused. _

"_That's not a dream. Not if your heart's pounding like that. You and someone you care about are connected somehow. That's what it is." Rikku said matter-of-factly, and Vidina deemed her wiser than the sword woman._

"_How worldly." The sword woman replied, rolling her eyes._

"_I've felt that way, too." Rikku pointed out._

"_About who?"_

"_I dunno."_

"_Spill it."_

"_Maybe we can trade secrets."_

"_You drive a hard bargain." The sword woman replied, laughing, putting her hands on her hips. _

"_I guess everyone's like this." Yuna thought, "We cling to our secrets, our doubts, our memories...we're never able to put them aside. Even though they confuse us, there are some things we can only find in that confusion. I think...its okay to feel that way." _

* * *

There was a flash, and once again, Vidina saw Nyeha's large green eyes through the mysterious swirling glass.

"Are you okay?" Vidina asked. Tears seemed to be hanging at the edge of Nyeha's eyes.

"I—I'm fine. Its—It's just—Seeing Yuna—My mother—even Paine—"

"Oh, is that her name?" Vidina asked, curiously, "I had never heard of her before. Where does she live?"

"Bevelle." Nyeha sniffed.

"Nyeha, what happened to your hand?" From the place on her fingertips where she had held the glass, swirled two new scars, one from her thumb and the other from her forefinger, each trailing down her finger like a winding path down a mountain, intertwining with the other, and eventually fading into the rest of her arm.

"It's the glass—" Nyeha said, taking a moment to examine the scars. "Or—what exactly—is it?"

"I really, really don't know." Vidina said, at a loss for words. Then, a new thought occurred to him. "Do you think it has anything to do with—"

"Syacdan?" She interrupted, taking the word out of his mouth, "I—I sure hope not." She said, slightly shaken. He took the glass from her feeble hand, stored it in his pocket with the other, and the stared at each other for a moment, in complete silence.

"Not to change the subject," Vidina began, "But don't we have a blitzball game to be at?"

"Well," Nyeha said, looking up, though her voice still sounded shaken, "I suppose you're right."

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Vidina asked as they walked down the Lucan streets to the stadium.

"Yes, for about the billionth time. I'm_ fine_."

"You don't _sound_ fine." He pointed out.

"I'm just a little--shaken." She admitted, "Seeing--y'know--Lady Yuna, and my--my mom." And for a moment they were silent, neither wanting to ask the yet unspoken questions. Why did they see the things they did? Why did those pieces of glass scar Nyeha like they did? Where did they come from? Did they have anything to do with the disappearance of the person they depicted? And what part would those pieces of glass play in their adventure?

Vidina spotted Scintilla's fire-colored hair in a crowd around the stadium, and he called her name.

"Scintilla—Scintilla!" He called, and she turned after hearing her name a second time. Her face brightened, and she turned away from the stadium and ran to meet the two standing outside.

"Are you guys staying for the game, too?"

"You bet." Vidina said eagerly, although he knew watching a blitzball game would remind him far too much of home.

"I'll go get some tickets!" She squeaked, and hurried back into the crowd. Vidina glanced at Nyeha who growled crossly under her breath,

"Dryd kenm ec yhhuoehk yc ramm. ((**That girl is annoying as hell.**))"

He was slightly surprised, and it took him a moment to translate her words. After a few seconds, he had formulated a response, "Oui cruimt pa helan. ((**You should be nicer.**))" A moment too late, he decided that that was not the best response, and he would regret it. He quickly added, "Oui't bnupypmo mega ran suna. ((**You'd probably like her more.**))" As predicted, Nyeha seemed highly offended by the advice, and furiously whispered,

"Cra'c y lnesehym! ((**She's a criminal!**))" Vidina was slightly surprised by her approach here, and responded with a sarcastic tone to his voice,

"Palyica aclybehk vnus y bnecuh tuach'd syga oui y lnesehym. ((**Because escaping from a prison doesn't make you a criminal.**))" At his response, Nyeha's skin seemed to pale, and the look on her face made Vidina realize that he had struck a nerve, and had gone just a little bit too far. "I'm sorry." He said softly, but she had turned her head sideways.

They were spared another awkward moment as Scintilla came rushing back with a ticket for both Vidina and Nyeha, and they walked through the gate in silence, each regarding the other coldly. They climbed the stairs to the row of seats indicated by their tickets, while Scintilla gave them both odd looks, unaccustomed to such silence from the pair. Vidina could tell she wanted to ask what was going on, but couldn't without looking very, very nosey.

When they reached their section (Section K), their row (K13), and their seats (K13-7,8, and 9)(Nyeha, Scintilla and Vidina respectively), they sat down in a uniform silence that seemed to stand out in the chatter around them.

"Is it supposed to start soon?" Vidina asked Scintilla, breaking the silence. She dug a golden pocket watch out of the pocket of her skirt, and examined it.

"Any minute now!" She said happily, and Nyeha threw a sour glance in her direction. It seemed that the happier Scintilla would be, the angrier Nyeha would get. For a moment he pondered, wondering if it work the other way. All at once, the announcer's voice boomed on through the loudspeaker.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE LUCA STADIUM FOR WHAT PROMISES TO BE A GREAT GAME OF BLITZBALL! FACING THE HOME TEAM, THE LUCA GOERS, IS NONE OTHER THAN THE KILIKA BEASTS!" And the announcer went on to announce the names of the players on each team. When Cahake came out, he scanned the crowd and waved as he saw Nyeha and Vidina. Vidina waved feebly back.

The game commenced with a toss up, and one of the Luca Goers caught it. The Lucan offense began hammering the Kilikan's slightly feeble defense, but their goalkeeper saved the day when he caught the ball by the tips of his fingers, and threw it long and hard to Cahake, who darted for the Goer's goal, weaving in and out of the Lucan defense at an amazing speed.

Wow, he was pretty good.

Vidina breathed deeply. He wondered if it was because of the heat, but his head was starting to spin. He breathed deeply again, struggling to maintain a steady stream of thought. As he failed to grasp consciousness, he shut his eyes and allowed his head to hit the back of the seat.

* * *

He was—falling?

He looked up to see a strange sky disappearing before him, but when he looked around, he saw nothing but a white abyss.

"Hello, Vidina." He heard a voice speak to him. It wasn't the least bit familiar, but it was beautiful and melodious, "I've been meaning to speak to you." He closed his eyes once more, although he didn't quite know why.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt something soft beneath him, and on all sides. After a moment, it registered in his mind that he was—in a field of flowers?

"Hello?" He called out, and his voice seemed to echo a million times over. "Is anyone there?"


	13. Chapter 12: Flowers Dreams and Disbelief

**A/N: Quicker this time, now that school is finally out.**

**Forgotten Lies:**** To be truthful, for a little while, Pray for Rain had taken a backseat to my Final Fantasy XII fanfiction, but reading your review made me want to focus on this again. Thank you! I know what it's like to have a favorite story, but unfortunately, the author hasn't updated it for over two years. :( **

**Mandy I Am: ****Thanks! I like your new username, by the way. **

**Ogro: ****I pretty much covered your theories in the PM, if you ask me. Or, at least, as far as I'm going to cover them for now. The scars: symbolic, yes. Of what? I can't say.**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twelve:**

"_Flowers, Dreams, and Disbelief"_

"Hello!" Vidina called out once more. He was _sure_ he had heard that voice, the voice that spoke to him as he fell to—wherever he was. He looked around once more. A million colors swirled in the sky, but the most prominent were orange, yellow and pink. What did that remind him of? He asked himself, but he was having trouble thinking straight. But after he looked a moment, large pieces of the flowers and sky seemed to be bleached of color, washed out, almost grayscale.

"You are the son of Yuna's guardian Wakka, are you not?" He heard that voice again, and he looked up to see one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. Her long brown hair flowed around her, like in an unearthly sort of wind, and her dark brown eyes and tanned skin seemed to perfect and smooth her features. Her outfit seemed familiar—he had seen it in a painting somewhere. But where? His mind was still struggling to make connections.

"Yes—yes I am."

"Vidina, right?"

"R-right."

She gazed at him, smiling softly, "My, my, my, what a rich future Spira has awaiting it." Vidina, slightly startled by the reference to his name, decided it was accidental. But he couldn't help feeling this woman knew something he didn't.

"Who—who are you?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "Of course. I have gotten ahead of myself. My name is Lenne." Each word was carefully chosen and controlled in a way that reminded Vidina of his own mother. "I am—I was a summoner of Yevon."

"You—you're a summoner? How is that? I never heard of another living summoner—other than Lady Yuna." For in his mind, Yuna was still alive. He had seen her, in that glass…

"That's because—that's because I'm _not _living." She paused, sighing, "Welcome to the Farplane, Vidina." She gestured around her at the field of flowers, the sky, and beyond.

"What's the Farplane?" Vidina asked, feeling ignorant. Lenne seemed shocked.

"How could such an important piece of Spiran history be lost?" At first she seemed to shout indignantly, but when she spoke again, her voice was quiet and remorseful. "I—I didn't know things had gotten so bad…Am I too late, after all?"

"Too late for what?" Vidina asked, feeling like the nosey teenager he really was.

Lenne looked up again, with a determined look that reminded him of someone… "Vidina, your world—Spira—your home—everything you've known—things have been—corrupted."

"I know…" When she mentioned corruption, thought of Nyeha, the scars on her feet, and of the treatment of the Al Bhed.

"You do? What corruption have you discovered?"

"The Al Bhed are imprisoned on Bikanel Island! They didn't even do anything to deserve that, and the Yevonites of the temples are making them work like slaves! They're not allowed to leave, no matter what!" By the time he drew breath, he realized how loud he had been yelling, and Lenne's eyebrows were raised. When she spoke, it was soft, and almost inaudible,

"So, you have met her already?"

"Nyeha?" Vidina said, as her name slipped out from between his lips. How could this woman know of Nyeha?

"Well, I didn't know that Rikku would add an 'a' onto the end of her name, but all the same, I—I was told that Rikku's daughter would try to escape the prison. It seems that the Lady knew the Al Bhed would be imprisoned upon her disappearance. I was also told that, due to her parentage, she would believe nothing I said, and was advised to speak to you first. And the Lady mentioned that she probably won't even believe you, when you tell her. And I do think she knows what she's talking about."

"The Lady?" Vidina sputtered, shocked, "Lady Yuna? You have talked to Lady Yuna?!"

Lenne looked at him with sad, sad eyes. "Of course I have."

* * *

"Vidina!" Nyeha called out, as his head hit the seat. Her face flushed and all bitterness forgotten, she rushed over to him began panicking. She spun on Scintilla, "Well, don't just sit there!" She screeched.

"Here, we'll take him downstairs to the locker rooms; it's probably just the heat." Scintilla said, rolling her eyes as Nyeha freaked.

Nyeha didn't waste a moment to glare at her, but couldn't help but throw an angry glance in her direction as they carried Vidina through the rows of seats to the stairs, and then down into the locker rooms. Nyeha wondered why she hadn't thought it was just the heat. Her instincts had told her otherwise, but was she just paranoid? They sat him up on one of the player's benches, and after looking at his unconscious form for a moment, she turned and barked to Scintilla,

"Go get some water, would you?" And not daring to question this new, protective Nyeha, she scampered off out of the locker rooms without a word.

Nyeha turned back to face Vidina, who looked peaceful. Her instincts told her that he was in danger, on the edge of death, though she didn't know quite why. "Ur, Vidina, fryd femm E tu? Ev oui tea, yht hajan raynt sa ybumukewa...E tuh'd drehg E'mm ajan vunkeja socamv. ((**Oh, Vidina, what will I do? If you die, and never heard me apologize...I don't think I'll ever forgive myself.**))" As her watery eyes spilled over, she inched closer to him, afraid she would lose him so soon, "E'ja mucd cu silr--E lyh'd muca oui huf, vidina-puo. E's cu cunno...oui sayh suna du sa dryh oui ghuf... ((**I've lost so much--I can't lose you now, future-boy. I'm so sorry...you mean more to me than you know...**))"

And because nothing else made sense, she bent over and kissed him, before it was too late.

* * *

"Lady Yuna, is she here?" Vidina said, looking around, as if expecting to see her.

"Yes and no." Lenne replied lightly, "The Al Bhed are imprisoned, but Yuna, she is in her own prison. Her fiancé as well."

"Tidus?" Vidina asked, remembering the blonde blitzball player from the vision. Lenne nodded. "Do you know who trapped them?" Vidina asked eagerly.

Lenne shook her head sadly, "No, Yuna herself does not know who trapped her. But," she hesitated, before she continued, "she does think she knows why. Just before her disappearance, Yuna was offered the highest chair of political power, essentially the ruler of all Spira. With Yuna out of the way, the person desiring that chair would have taken power. Travel to Bevelle. If, by chance, you find a way to corner this person ask about—ask about the glass." Vidina breathed deeply again, his head spinning once more. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees to keep his balance. "Oh, how careless of me," Lenne said hurriedly, "there is only so much time the living can spend in the land of the dead before they die themselves—someone with good instincts will be very worried about you. You must return!"

And for a moment Vidina wondered if he was supposed to know how to get back himself, but a second later there was a flash of light, and all he felt was pain.

* * *

Many things happened at once, in the locker rooms under the Lucan stadium. Nyeha pulled away from Vidina, still not quite believing herself, Vidina opened his eyes in a mixture of shock and pain, and Scintilla returned with what looked like a large bottle of water.

"Vidina!" Nyeha said hurriedly, the syllables of his name crashing into each other. "Are you okay?" She had never seemed so worried, at least, not that Vidina had seen.

"I'm—fine." He was shaken, and still slightly dizzy, and had trouble believing that what he had just experienced wasn't a dream. He racked his brain, trying to remember everything that Lenne had said.

"No, you're not." Nyeha knew that he was lying, and didn't buy it for a moment. "What happened? I thought you were going to die!" And Lenne's words returned to mind, "_There is only so much time the living can spend in the land of the dead before they die themselves—someone with good instincts will be very worried about you." _Lenne and Yuna, both trapped in the Farplane, knew of Nyeha and her escape. But—how?

"I heard the announcers when I went to get water." Scintilla piped up, all of a sudden, as she handed Vidina the bottle of water. "Your friend, Cahake? He's hurt. He broke his leg tackling one of the Goers. He should be coming down here, right about now…"

And as if on cue, they heard the footsteps of what sounded like the entire Kilikan blitzball team, carrying a groaning Cahake. His leg seemed bent at a distinctly odd angle, but he still looked over to glance at Vidina and Nyeha sitting across from each other on the player's benches.

"Vidina? Nyeha? What're you guys doing down here?" He groaned, through the distinct Kilikan accent as the team laid him down on one of the cots.

"We got overheated, and decided to come down here to cool off a bit." Nyeha put in, before Vidina could say anything nasty.

"I can understand that," Cahake said as he nodded sharply in their direction, "Scintilla." He addressed the young girl with another nod.

"Nice to see you too, Cahake." Scintilla replied highly. Vidina decided he would rather not ask. The Kilikan team began to tend to Cahake's broken leg, and began making a makeshift splint until the doctor arrived, until their team captain came in.

"We have a game to play, boys!" Their captain barked, and the team, sans Cahake, immediately straightened up and turned to him, and sharply replied, "Cap'n!" before walking out in an almost military uniform style. There was a moment's awkward silence between the four, before Vidina said loudly,

"Uh, Nyeha? I need to talk to you—in the hallway." And without waiting for her to protest, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out into the hallway, shutting the door behind them.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Nyeha began, sounding skeptical, after hearing what Vidina had to say, "You passed out, landed in a field of flowers, and this lady starts talking about being a summoner, how she knows where Yuna is, and about how she knew I would escape imprisonment, before I was even born."

"She also said that you wouldn't believe me when I told you."

"Are you sure this isn't just some normal dream?"

"I'm sure!" Nyeha, who still didn't look convinced, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Vidina suspiciously as she leaned against the wall.

"So this woman, who we're not even sure exists, needs you to go to Bevelle and retrieve some glass, and somehow save the world?"

"Well, uh, yes." There was a moment's silence, in which Vidina felt the need to convince her, "Listen, Nyeha. Suppose Bevelle is more corrupt than we think. If we 'save the world', as Lenne asks, than you can show the rest of Spira that the Al Bhed are good, after all, and they'll set your race free! Just think of it!" And Vidina's excitement must have spread through his words, because Nyeha seemed more convinced than before.

She looked up at him, "Well, if we are going to Bevelle, then, I don't know what we're doing here, sitting on our lazy asses watching a blitzball game. We have a long road ahead of us, future-boy."

They returned to the room, to speak with Cahake and Scintilla, who had been awaiting their return. But Vidina's eyes fell on something written on the wall that drew his attention from anything else.

_"My best memories are here._

_Wakka, Captain of the Aurochs."_


	14. Chapter 13: Awkward

**A/N: Wow, this is certainly a fun story to write. Because I know I love a good mystery, myself, it's good to be on this side, with all the facts. ;)**

**Xenolion****: Believe me, it's a lot of fun to write.**

**Mandy I Am****: It's fun to hear what you guys wonder about. Here's another chapter for you, but I'm afraid it doesn't offer a lot of explanations. **

**Ogro:**** I didn't hear a lot of theories in your review this time, but I'm sure I'll get some after you read this chapter. ;) **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"_Awkward"_

'_My best memories are here. _

_Wakka, Captain of the Aurouchs.'_

'_My journey begins here. _

_Vidina, son of Wakka'_

"So, where are we headed?" Scintilla asked as the trio left the blitzball stadium.

"What kind of a question is that?" Nyeha snapped.

"Well, if I'm going to be your self-appointed navigator, I'll need to know where we're going."

"Where did the navigator part come from?" Vidina asked, sounding far less bitter than Nyeha.

"Well, its _obvious _neither of you has ever left whatever rock you've been hiding under, so you can't even _hope _to navigate the Spiran mainland without someone who knows the ropes." Scintilla said, taking care to look at Nyeha.

"She's right, Nyeha." Vidina said, as Nyeha raised her index finger and opened her mouth to retort.

"So, where are headed to?"

"Bevelle." Vidina answered.

"The capital city?" Scintilla asked eagerly, a hungry look in her eye. "I've never been to the capital before…"

"So you won't be any more help than either of us." Nyeha pointed out, but Scintilla didn't seem to take notice.

"Why are we going to Bevelle?" Scintilla asked curiously.

"To—to meet someone." Nyeha jumped in, lest Vidina say something stupid.

"Who?" Scintilla's relentless questioning was tiring Nyeha, and her patience was running dangerously low.

"Paine. Baralai, too."

"From the Gullwings?" Scintilla asked, incredulous. Nyeha nodded. "Ooh, how exciting! When are we leaving?"

"Let us get our stuff from the hotel, and we'll set off on the Mi'ihen Highroad, if I'm not mistaken." Nyeha said, and Vidina wasn't exactly sure how she knew that. He decided to ask her later.

"Alright, well, hurry back, and I'll meet you at the Mi'ihen Gate!" Scintilla dashed off.

* * *

The duo walked back to the hotel, able to breathe a little easier without Scintilla being clingy.

"So, how did you know we were traveling on the Highroad?" Vidina asked curiously.

"I saw a sign for the gate, when we were on the way to the game." Nyeha admitted, shrugging her shoulders slightly as they entered the hotel.

"How do you plan on getting along with Scintilla, until we reach Bevelle?"

"You think I can't handle it?" She said, but her tone was innocent enough and there was a smile on her face. Vidina sighed.

"We won't have much time to ourselves, once we get going." He said, as they reached the room.

"I know." Nyeha said shortly, awkwardly, and it made Vidina wonder if something was up. He shook his head slightly, knowing that she wouldn't tell him anyway, even if there was. There was something distinctly strange about her behavior, but he decided that she would probably shake it once they got on the road again.

* * *

"_Where is your daughter?" The guard thundered, and Rikku stiffened slightly before answering. _

"_She disappeared not too long ago. You should ask my son about it." She grabbed the ten-year-old, large-eyed blonde boy beside her, who turned and asked,_

"_Sudran, fryd ec dra syh cyoehk? Ec ed cusadrehk ypuid Nyeha? ((__**Mother, what is the man saying? Is it something about Nyeha?**__))" He asked innocently, sounding slightly scared. _

"_Oac, ra'c ycgehk ypuid ouin cecdan. Damm dra kiynt fryd rybbahat, Mekred. ((__**Yes, he's asking about your sister. Tell the guard what happened, Mekred.**__))" Rikku said slowly, bending down to his eye level. He nodded slightly, still looking scared. He turned to the guard, and began, _

"_Fa fana uid cymjykehk machina—((__**We were out salvaging machina--**__))"_

"_In Spiran, you useless heathen!" Rikku spun on the guard, as he shouted._

"_He doesn't speak your filthy language. Would you like me to translate, or do you not trust me?"_

"_Of course I don't trust you." The guard turned to the hallway. "Can we get a translator in here?" He shouted, and his words echoed half a dozen times down the metal hallways of the prison. At once, a small, skinny man with brown hair and round glasses came rushing into the room, clutching a small book. Glancing around the room, he pushed his glasses up his nose nervously, and the bulky guard clanked in his armor as he turned and asked, "Are you our translator?"_

"_Y—yes, sir."_

"_Have I seen you before?"_

"_N—no, sir. I'm new."_

"_Where did you come from?"_

"_I—I was a s—scholar, in Bevelle."_

_The guard harrumphed, and turned to Mekred and Rikku, the latter still crouched to the former's height. "This young man has a story to tell us."_

"_V—very well then. P—please begin."_

_Mekred, still unsure of what they had been saying, turned to Rikku uncertainly, who said quietly, "Ku uh. ((__**Go on.**__))" _

"_So cecdan yht E, fa fahd uid du cymjyka machina, mega fa ymfyoc tu. ((__**My sister and I, we went out to salvage machina, like we always do.**__))" He paused, and waited for the translator to relay his message to the guard. _

"_He-he says that he and his sister went out to s-salvage machina." _

"_Yes, well, go on." The guard said gruffly, making it clear he didn't have any patience with any of the other occupants of the room. _

"_Fa raynt dra sandstorm, pid fa ryt ymsucd naylrat uin xiudy vun dra tyo, yht fa druikrd fa luimt uidnih dra cduns. ((__**We heard the sandstorm, but we had almost reached our quota for the day, and we thought we could outrun the storm.**__))"_

"_H--he said that they had almost reached the quota when they heard a s--sandstorm, but they thought they could outrun it." _

_Before the guard could comment, Mekred continued, "Fa fyedat ihdem dra mycd sehida, pid dra cduns lysa vycdan dryh fa druikrd, yht fa pineat dra pyk eh dra cyht, cu fa luimt lusa pylg du ed. ((__**We waited until the last minute, but the storm came faster than we thought, and we buried the bag in the sand, so we could come back to it.**__))" _

"_T--they waited until the last minute, but the s--storm came faster than they t--thought, so they buried the bag of m--machina in the s--sand."_

"_Yes, yes."_

"_Frah fa fana ypuid rymv y sema yfyo vnus Nara'c crylg, Nyeha cyet dryd cra luimth'd mayja dra sylrehy byndc uid drana, yht cra nyh pylg du kad du dra sylrehy. ((__**When we were about half a mile away from Nara's shack, Nyeha said that she couldn't leave the machina parts out there, and she ran back to get to the machina.**__))" He paused. His face had gone pale and he was shaking, "Cra--cra teth'd lusa pylg... ((__**She--she didn't come back...**__))"_

"_W—when they were about half a mile to—" He paused nervously, having forgotten the name already, _

"_Nara'c"_

"_N—Nara's shack, his sister turned back to get the machina and didn't return." _

"_Ask him if he has seen her since." The guard said to the translator._

"_B—But he said that—" The translator said, but the guard cut him off. _

"_I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR OPINION, DID I?!" He thundered, and the now shaking translator pushed his glasses up his nose again._

"_N—no, sir." He cleared his throat, and spoke in a flawless Al Bhed, "Ryja oui caah ouin cecdan cehla cra tecybbaynat? ((__**Have you seen your sister since she disappeared?**__))"_

_Mekred looked at him strangely. _

"_Cdibet xiacdeuh, rir? ((__**Stupid question, huh?**__))" The translator asked quietly, smiling. The two Al Bhed smiled back at him, momentarily. _

"_Hu, E ryjah'd caah ran. ((__**No, I haven't seen her**__.))" Mekred replied, taking on a serious tone once more, "Ev E ryt caah ran, cra fuimth'd pa seccehk... ((__**If I had seen her, she wouldn't be missing...**__))" He added in a whisper._

"_Well, what did he say?" The guard asked, feeling distinctly like he was missing out on another conversation. Maybe when he was done with this, he would start studying Al Bhed. It might come in handy when he was dealing with nutcases like this. _

"_H—he said he hasn't s—seen her." _

_The guard harrumphed again, when the conversation was interrupted by the opening of a door, in the back of the room. In stumbled a tanned blonde girl wearing a green shirt and a black skirt, with green eyes and sand in her hair. _

"_Nyeha! Oui'na pylg! ((__**Nyeha! You're back!**__))" Mekred rushed and embraced his older sister. The translator raised his eyebrows, and the guard mumbled something about calling off an alarm into a microphone on his left wrist. _

"_At last, you've returned safely." Rikku said with a proud look on her face, standing up once more. _

_The girl blinked, looking slightly confused, but she said mistily, "U-uv luinca E ryja... ((__**O-of course I have...**__))" _

* * *

As Nyeha gathered her things, she mumbled, "Tysh, E byet vimm bnela vun drec nuus, yht fa teth'd ajah cdyo y fruma hekrd. Fa'na hud aqyldmo nummehk eh gil, rana... ((**Damn, I paid full price for this room, and we didn't even stay a whole night. We're not exactly rolling in gil, here...**))"

"Drec ec Luca, Nyeha. Drehkc'mm pa lrayban uhla fa'na uid uv dra ledo. ((**This is Luca, Nyeha. Things'll be cheaper once we're out of the city.**))"

"Wow." Nyeha said, slightly stunned, "You sound almost like a fluent Al Bhed. Minus the accent, of course." She winked, and Vidina had never been so self conscious about his Besaidian accent. "But you've certainly made a lot of progress."

As he helped her with her bag, he replied, "And I bet you didn't believe me when I told you I was a quick study."

"No, no I didn't. But you proved me wrong, apparently." At Nyeha's reply, there was a long silence in which Vidina was lost in thought. He cocked his head, examining her.

"What is _with _you, Nyeha?"

"What kind of a question is that?" She asked, looking confused.

"Something's different. You're acting strange. What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"All of this getting along with Scintilla, all of this smiling and winking, and admitting you're wrong. It's not like you."

"You barely know me. Who're you to decide what's 'like me' or not?" Nyeha replied defensively and angrily, as they left the hotel room.

"There. That's better." Vidina said, as they walked down the stairs, and Nyeha glared at him.

"Hey—Hey! Guys! Over here!" The two heard a voice as the approached the stairs to Mi'ihen gate. As expected, they turned to see Scintilla who was standing beside—Cahake? "Is it alright if Cahake comes too?" The Kilikan in question was on crutches and sporting a cast, and Vidina wanted to point out that he was in no shape to journey with them to Bevelle, but Nyeha jumped in with her new 'good mood' voice.

"I don't see why not, as long as he's okay with it."

"Well, I'll be honored to join you, Nyeha. To tell you the truth," he began sadly, "I need something to do. With this leg, I'm out for the season, and I just can't stand to be in Luca during all the games and knowing I can't play."

Nyeha smiled sympathetically at him, as Scintilla said, "I know, I couldn't resist his face, either." And Nyeha did something that shocked him more than anything thus far. She turned and smiled at Scintilla, as well, and winked for the second time in an hour. Something was _seriously _wrong with Nyeha, and he was going to figure out what.

"Well, we'd best be off." Vidina said, and the group began to journey up the stairs. Cahake was quicker on his crutches than Vidina had expected. When they reached the top, he saw an overhang that looked upon the beach below, and he felt the need to stop and look over. As he walked, he saw that Nyeha had meandered over to the balcony as well. And he could tell she saw the vision, too, of Yuna and Tidus standing side-by-side, sixteen years ago, on that very overhang.

_"If we should get separated, just whistle. I'll come running. I promise."_

And Vidina knew that she, too, thought back to their earlier vision, of Yuna standing on the dock below, whistling.

And very, very alone.

**A/N: My all time favorite character from this story: the stuttering translator.**


	15. Chapter 14: Almost Like Home

**A/N: Ooh, writing this is so much fun! I broke 1000 hits on this story a few days ago! Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews, I love you all!**

**Mandy I Am: ****Well, I'm glad you like that kind of thing, otherwise you might not like this story much at all. ;)**

**Ogro: ****I figured there might be a little confusion surrounding that part, but this chapter and some past chapters might help to clear that up. **

**Forgotten Lies: ****Ya, Nyeha thinks it was rushed too. That's why she's a little on the odd side, at the moment. That was why the chapter was entitled 'Awkward'. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

"_Almost Like Home"_

_Wakka and Lulu woke with a start, as someone pounded on their door once more. Lulu began to get up but Wakka gestured for her to stay, and he got up to answer the door. _

_As expected, a Counselor with dark hair and blue eyes stood at the doorway, and glanced around nervously as Wakka opened the door. _

"_My deepest apologies for waking you at this time, but there is a five hour—"_

"_I _know_ about the time difference." _

"_Oh. Right. Is the Advisor Lulu a member of this residence?"_

"_Yes." Wakka said, slowly losing patience with the Counselor. _

"_Is she available?"_

_Wakka sighed. "Lu? Could you come here for a sec?" He heard a sigh from behind him and Lulu slowly walked to the doorway, looking the Counselor hard in the eye. From the way he immediately stiffened, he had been told about her. Wakka wondered to himself if the last Counselor that had come around had been the one to tell this one about her. He amused himself with the thought. _

"_Yes?" Lulu said, raising her eyebrows. As a general rule, any Counselor that came by in the middle of the night was usually about to make a fool of themselves, and Lulu decided just to wait. _

"_As a former member of the late High Summoner's pilgrimage, and a member of the High—"_

"_I am _aware _of my position, Counselor."_

"_Right, ma'am." He bowed quickly, and cleared his throat, "I am here to inform you that the alarm has been called off, and the missing Al Bhed has been located." He lowered the piece of parchment slightly, and said admittedly, "She was found on the island. It turns out she never left."_

_Lulu looked startled for the first time in the conversation, but she quickly hid it. "How do you account for the airship, then?"_

_The Counselor hesitated before answering. "We have reason to believe that one of our own guards took it, and it heading for Djose at the moment."_

"_But you're not _sure?_"_

"_Uh, no ma'am."_

"_Then as a member of the Board, I would advise you, Counselor, to work on that point first. Good night." And she shut the door, leaving the Counselor to ponder this strange lady._

* * *

It soon became apparent that they weren't going to get very far on foot. Not with Cahake's leg, anyway.

But the Kilikan blitzball player, never admitting weakness, hobbled along on his crutches determinedly, never once asking for help.

"Cahake, are you _sure _you can get along alright?" Scintilla asked, for the fourth or fifth time. As Vidina looked back, he realized that Luca was still in sight behind them, and they had been traveling for nearly an hour, now.

"I'm—fine." He huffed, sounding out of breath. Scintilla rolled her eyes.

"Sure ya are."

"I have an idea." Nyeha piped up, pointing to the hovers about ten feet down the path, where a brunette stood, sporting knee-high black boots and what looked like a large beige coat that almost came down to her knees. She wore a pair of goggles around her neck, and had a smudge of grease on her left cheek. "Why don't we take one of those?"

"I—suppose I could—rest for a bit." Cahake said, breathing heavily.

"I suppose you could." Vidina said, trying not to be amused at his companion's pain. With Nyeha leading the way, the motley foursome headed over to the hovers.

"Could we get a ride on one of these, ma'am?" Nyeha said, and Vidina was astounded by her politeness. That seemed like another quality Nyeha possessed. In a second, an inner switch could be flipped and she could be a totally different person, depending on the situation. On the other hand, Vidina was just—Vidina.

The hover girl raised her eyebrows. Apparently she wasn't used to being called 'ma'am' by someone half an inch taller than her. Vidina took a moment to note that the hover girl looked to be about sixteen, but had a delicate face that suggested she hadn't been worked too hard in her short lifetime. Her skin was pale, as far as Lucans went, but had dark blue eyes that stood out from the rest of her face. She flushed when she realized that Vidina was looking at her.

"You can have a ride for 150 gil," She began, but smirked a little when she added, "If you promise not to call me ma'am."

Nyeha raised her eyebrows, but smiled back as she counted out the gil from her bag. "Sounds like a deal to me." The hover girl pocketed the gil, and led the group to a hover. As she started up the engine, she asked Nyeha,

"Where are you headed?"

"Well, we're just trying to get through the Highroad at the moment, but eventually we're heading to Bevelle. The hover girl whistled.

"Wow, Bevelle, eh? I've always wanted to go to Bevelle, but I've never been able to scrape together the gil." She gestured for the group to board the hover. Vidina and Scintilla helped Cahake up, while Nyeha and the hover girl continued to converse.

"These came from Bikanel, when we used to dig out there."

"We?" Nyeha asked, curious. The hover girl began driving down the Highroad, speeding past people and various creatures. Vidina was glad they had taken a hover, because he wasn't sure he was up to fighting whatever fiends roamed the Highroad, once you got too far from Luca.

"My family. We were diggers out on Bikanel, one of the few Spiran families out there. We were driven out, when they built the prison. I was only three years old, so I only have a few memories of the island. My parents really miss it there, though. I'm the youngest of six, and all of my brothers and sisters hated leaving the island. My oldest brother, fourteen years my senior, fell in love with an Al Bhed girl the moment he saw her. He learned the language, disguised himself as an Al Bhed and has been there ever since." The hover girl looked at Nyeha, as if startled with herself for sharing her life's story with a stranger, "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not." Nyeha promised. After all, the next time she spoke to the Yevonites in charge of Bikanel, she would be arrested.

"Whew, that's good." The hover girl looked relieved, and turned her gaze from Nyeha back to the Highroad, which was a relief to Nyeha. The last thing she needed right now was a death by crashed hover. "I've never told anyone that." She admitted. "I'm Alanis."

"Nice to meet you, Alanis, I'm Nyeha."

Meanwhile, Vidina, Scintilla and Cahake were having an interesting conversation of their own.

"How long have you and Nyeha been together?" Cahake asked Vidina, in an oily smooth voice that bothered him greatly.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Vidina snapped, although he knew perfectly well what it meant. He wasn't stupid, after all. Cahake rolled his eyes, so Vidina replied, "We're just friends." He almost gambled a glance back in her direction, but he knew she was deep in conversation with the hover girl. Nyeha _had _been acting odd lately, and Vidina began to wonder if they had said something to her, as well. Cahake nodded, a small grin spreading across his face.

"What's that for?" Scintilla asked, slightly suspicious.

"Oh, nothing." Cahake said, glancing back at Nyeha, who didn't seem to notice. Vidina felt a rage boiling inside of him, and part of him wished that he had lied. But his conscience fought back. What did he care, anyway?

Scintilla sat down on the small platform, dangling her feet over the edge of the hover. The group's hair blew in the wind resistance created by the hover, and after half an hour of silence, Nyeha rejoined her companions. Vidina noticed, as she sat down between himself and Cahake, that she had let her blonde hair down and let it blow in the wind as she closed her eyes. And as he watched, he realized that she did this because it reminded her of home. She liked being around the machina, feeling the wind in her hair as they flew at impossible speeds…And as she opened one green eye to peer at him, he snapped his head back to face forward, and she closed it again.

Eventually, the group of four ended up laying on their backs on the small platform, Scintilla, Vidina, Nyeha and Cahake, from left to right. The sky and clouds whizzed by, and Vidina realized shortly before falling asleep, that he was finally getting used to this 'machina' idea.

* * *

"Wake up, sleeping beauty."

Vidina wasn't sure if he was awakened by Nyeha's voice, or the jarring stop of the hover. In retrospect, it didn't really matter, because both startled him out of his wits. Sitting up quickly, he opened his eyes and realized that it was nearly dusk, and they had stopped just outside of a small town.

The largest establishment in the town, consisting of about half a dozen quaint little buildings, seemed to be a hotel, and it was apparent that the town had been built around it. There were a couple little homes with chocobos tided up outside and gardens around the back, sporting vegetables and flowers. Each house was both dome-shaped and only one story, slightly resembling upside down teacups placed haphazardly on the ground.

As the hover girl headed for the hotel, she gestured for the group to follow. "Welcome to Ranaria, the town on the Highroad."

"It's beautiful," Nyeha commented, looking around.

"It's _cute!" _Scintilla said, closing her eyes and smiling.

"It's where we'll be stopping for the night." The hover girl interjected. "By the way, my name is Alanis."

"Pretty name." Vidina complimented, and Alanis smiled.

"Pretty _girl._" Cahake whispered to Vidina, out of the corner of his mouth. But he was a little too loud, Vidina decided, because he swore he saw Alanis' face flush.

"Can I help you?" The hotel receptionist asked, as he saw Alanis come in. The receptionist was an odd-looking person, a teenager with piercings up his ears, spiked up blue hair, and the overall air that he didn't belong in the hotel. She turned around and counted quickly. "I'll need five—"

"Oh, no you don't." Nyeha said, fighting her way up through her companions to speak with Alanis. "We can't let you pay for our hotel rooms."

"You paid for your passage down the Highroad. The least I can do is—"

"We paid 150 gil." Vidina pointed out. "That won't even cover half of—"

"I have an idea." Nyeha cut him off, before beginning, "You're saving up to go to Bevelle, right?" Alanis nodded, "I'll let you pay for our hotel rooms, and you can come with us to Bevelle."

Vidina thought Alanis' eyes would fall out of their sockets. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am, as long as it's alright with everyone else." She turned around, and got a chorus of agreement from her other three companions. Her face flushed again, Alanis began to count out the gil for five rooms. The receptionist, his eyes raised at these five very, very strange people, slid the gil across the counter without a word, and pulled out five room keys and handed them to their new temporary owners. As they walked down the hallway to the right of the reception counter, the blue-haired receptionist called,

"Good night, Alanis." Vidina saw her roll her eyes, and without looking back, she called back,

"Good night, Livy!"

* * *

Vidina noticed that the room seemed exceptionally lonely. Almost like home.

Though he was very, very tired, he was unable to sleep, and paced around the room in circles until he was dizzy and the room spun, and so he resorted to sitting on his bed while he thought. He sighed, and decided he just needed someone to talk to, or perhaps just to listen. His conscience supplied Nyeha's name in an instant, and still slightly dazed, he wandered out his door and down the hallway, to the room two down from his, where he knew she was staying.

"Nyeha?" He said, knocking on her door softly. He thought he heard a sniff from behind the door, so he knocked a little louder. "Nyeha?" He heard another sniff. Feeling indignant that he was being ignored, he pushed open the door quietly.

The indignant feeling faded instantly. The source of the sniffing was revealed. Nyeha was sitting, legs crossed, on the white bedspread, with her back up against the wall, with endless amounts of tears running down her face.

"Nyeha—are you okay?"

"So kut, dryd fyc y cdibet xiacdeuh. ((**My god, that was a stupid question.**))" She replied, sniffling again.

"Yknaat. ((**Agreed.**))" He replied, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Alright, I'll ask a better one. What's wrong?" Without being invited, he came and sat beside her, and she continued to cry for a moment.

"Oh, Vidina," She began weakly, "I'm so scared. I—I—when I left, I didn't imagine—I—well—I was supposed to do this alone. That was the idea, so I wouldn't get close to anyone. But—but now, I have companions, people to look out for and be looked out for. I—there's—I have people that care about me—that I'm afraid to lose. This—this would be so much easier if I didn't care so much—" She paused to cry, but Vidina decided to remain silent for a little while longer. "When I left—I—I wasn't afraid to die. I would have given my life at any moment, to know that I was a part of the revolution." The way she said 'revolution', the four syllables were filled with more passion than Vidina had ever heard in anyone's voice. "But now—I—I have people that _I _care about. I have _friends._" She turned to look at him at the last word, and he realized he would have given anything to make her feel better, "And I'm so afraid to lose you."


	16. Chapter 15: Sunset, Part One

**A/N: I must be on a roll tonight, because I don't normally start another chapter immediately after finishing one.**

**Ogro:**** As I may have mentioned before, Cahake has secrets of his own. ;) ****Yus, there is lots and lots of depth to Nyeha, even though she is a little--disagreeable. Yup, Gippal's the father. No secrets there. XP More on the fake Nyeha in Chapter Sixteen, I never got around to that in this one, before I got over my own personal word-limit. And yes, well, Cahake has his own motives for going on this journey.**

** Ahem. I just wanted to throw this out: All the members of the party have names that portray a certain amount of symbolism, significance or even foreshadowing. We all know about Nyeha's and Vidina's, but the other party members also have meaningful names. Cahake's, well, it's pretty much impossible, because _I _don't even remember how I arrived at 'Cahake' from where I started. But the others should be a little more obvious.  
**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Fifteen: **

_"Sunset, Part One"_

"Nyeha—I—" Vidina opened his mouth and began to speak, but was unsure of what to say that might comfort this girl. _No one should have to go through this, _he thought, _afraid to die when she's only trying to save her people. _He caught sight of her bare, scarred feet against the pure white bedspread, and he was disgusted once again. "I won't let you die." The words came out of his mouth without a single thought preceding them, but he believed that they were true. Anyone who wanted to kill Nyeha would have to kill him first. He was sure of it. "I promised you, not too long ago," He began, thinking back to their night on top of the wrecked airship, as they watched the dawn, "that I would see this through. And I mean it."

Nyeha, who seemed unsure of what to say herself, chose to cry into his shoulder, and he couldn't help but reach and touch her pretty wheat-blonde hair. Even in this moment of sadness, pain, and fear, it was just as soft as he had always imagined it would be. Eventually, Vidina realized that she had fallen asleep, right here in his arms. With another quick thought, he came to the conclusion that this was the second time he had held an unconscious Nyeha in his arms, and he barely knew her. No, that wasn't right, he decided. He hadn't known her for very long, but he figured he knew her pretty well. After all, she knew him better than anyone else he had ever known. But he caught sight of the scars on her left hand that now rested on the upper part of his right arm, and realized that there was still much he didn't know about Nyeha. She was a mystery, and there were more mysteries surrounding her still. But he kind of liked it that way.

Carefully, he removed her left hand from his arm, and picked her up. She was surprisingly light once again, and he laid her carefully back down on her bed, to which she sighed contentedly in her sleep.

"Good night, Vidina." She mumbled, almost incoherently, but he was just able to make it out and smiled softly.

"Good night, Nyeha." He replied softly, before backing slowly out of the room and shutting the door as quietly as he could. Immediately, he was overcome with exhaustion, and was unsure if he would be able to make it back to his room. He devoted a short thought to the notion that he could just pass out right here, in the hallway, but he quickly realized that that would not look good, in the morning. He stumbled back to his own room, his own white bedspread, and fell asleep instantly.

"Vidina?"

His first conscious thought was that it could hardly be morning already, for he had just shut his eyes, and his second was that this voice certainly did _not _belong to Nyeha.

"Vidina, are you awake?" He sat up quickly, startled by the unfamiliar voice. As he opened his eyes, the voice giggled. "I suppose you are, then."

He saw before him the pretty brunette hover driver, Alanis. He rubbed his eyes and shook the sleepy feeling out of his head, trying to get his mind working again.

"Nyeha sent me to wake you up. She said she wanted to get an early start, so we could get to Mushroom Rock by the end of the day."

"Is she _insane?_" Vidina mumbled to himself, before standing up and walking out of the room, leaving Alanis to follow.

He spotted Nyhea out in the lobby, and after leaving his room key on the empty reception desk, he stalked over to her.

"It's the crack of dawn, Nyeha! What is wrong with you?!"

Nyeha turned around to face him, looking cross. "First of all, there's no need to 'what's wrong with you?!' me. Second of all, I want to get to Mushroom Rock sometime _today, _so we have a place to stay tonight. Third, I needed to talk to you." And Vidina knew the lattermost was important, because she immediately averted her gaze to the floor.

"Listen—" They both began, in unison.

"Go ahead, sorry." Vidina said nervously. Nyeha sighed.

"I'm sorry about last night, okay?" She whispered, "I kinda fell apart. I apologize."

"A—apology accepted, but I don't really think you need to apologize." Vidina admitted, "I have to ask—did what you say last night have anything to do with the way you've been acting lately?"

"For the most part." Nyeha answered distractedly, but Vidina was saved the trouble of asking by Alanis.

"Cahake and Scintilla are up. If you want to get an early start, we'd better get going now."

"Alright, well, lead the way." Nyeha said lightly, following Alanis out the door.

When the hover began moving and their conversation was masked by the sound of the engine, Nyeha related to Vidina what Alanis had told her about her past.

"Do you know _why_ she told you?" Vidina asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"She told me—confessed, really, that I looked like an Al Bhed." Nyeha whispered, and Vidina could barely hear her.

"Do you—do you think she knows?"

Nyeha shook her head. "I was born _after _the Al Bhed were imprisoned, so she never once even saw me until now. No, she just thinks I bear a striking resemblance to an Al Bhed, with my hair and my eyes and such." Now that she mentioned it, Vidina had never really seen anyone with hair quite as blonde as Nyeha's, or eyes quite as green. But then again, he hadn't exactly traveled much of Spira, either. "I suppose it's alright, anyway, if my 'Al Bhed' appearance evokes a sense of trust in her, as opposed to—well—hostility, I guess."

Vidina caught sight of her left hand. Last night, there had been two winding scars down her thumb and forefinger, but now a third wound down and around her middle finger. When she noticed that his gaze fell on it, she sighed.

"Is that what I think it is?" Vidina asked, not sure if he should be concerned or angry. He chose neither.

"It is. I'm fine. I found it on the hill back there, when I was watching the sun rise."

"The glass?" Vidina asked. Nyeha nodded. "Can I have it?"

"Only if you want to see the memories." Nyeha said, pulling it out of her bag, without waiting for Vidina's answer. The moment Vidina's fingers met the glass, his vision faded before his eyes.

"_Whatcha up to?" _

_Yuna turned, to see Tidus walking up to her on the hillside. She smiled, then turned back to face the sunset beyond. "Pretty," she whispered, gazing intently._

"_Sure is," Tidus agreed, glancing at her. _

_"I wish I could live in a place like this." She said longingly, "Peaceful... Living with a smile on my face every day." Her voice was weary with the long journey she had already made, and the longer one yet to come. But in her there was strength, too. _

"_You can, once you beat Sin, right?" Tidus said, and Yuna glanced at him oddly, for a moment._

"_But then a new Sin will be born anyway." She said sadly, as her shoulders drooped. _

"_Well then, you can just beat it again." Tidus said reassuringly, as if he were coaching her. _

_"I wish I could." She replied sadly, though smiling still. _

"_Hey, you can! Trust me! You are the best summoner out there!" Tidus said, but it no longer sounded like coaching. It sounded like he really, truly believed in her. He sighed, and there was a long silence, and then Tidus asked, "Yuna, why does Sin always come back?"_

_"Sin is our punishment for our vanity. And it will not go away until we've atoned." But even as Yuna spoke the words, it sounded more as though she were reading from a book than speaking the truth._

_"How do we do that? What did we do that was so bad in the first place? Was it using lots of machina or something? Oh...Wait, was that such a bad thing, really?" Tidus asked, sounding slightly indignant. _

_"It's funny..." Yuna began, speaking slowly and skeptically, "Ever since I was young, I never questioned it. But now that you ask me if it is that bad or not...I don't know. There are so many things I don't know."_

"_Well then, we're the same!" Tidus joked, "Such thinking is very unbecoming of a summoner! Sound like Mika?" They laughed, and were almost two normal teenagers joking around at dusk. Almost._

_"That's not very nice, you know!" Yuna said, still laughing. _

_"You know... During a game, you have to think of blitz and nothing else, you know?"_

"_Okay." Yuna nodded. _

_"You can't think, 'That's a cute girl in the fifth seat from the right.' And you can't be thinking about where you're going on that date, because the minute you do, that's when you lose! You see, uh, Yuna, what I mean is, you shouldn't worry, you know? After we beat Sin, that's when you can worry about the future."_

"_I guess." Yuna replied, but she still sounded unsure._

_"But, Yuna, how are you supposed to beat something big like that?"_

_"The Final Summoning. It's the only way to defeat Sin. The only way. With it, we can call the Final Aeon. That's the goal of the pilgrimage. The Fayth of the Final Summoning lies waiting in the far north, to greet summoners that complete their pilgrimage. At the world's edge...in Zanarkand." She said, with the same passion that Nyeha had spoken of the revolution._

"_In Zanarkand?" Tidus asked, with wide eyes. A man in a red coat, having just approached, replied for Yuna._

_"She means the ruins of a city destroyed a thousand years ago." Both turned to look at him. _

"_You sure it's ruins?" Tidus asked, in denial._

"_That's what I've heard." Yuna said admittedly, as if not wanting to tell him that his home had been destroyed a thousand years ago._

_"You'll see it for yourself soon enough. Yuna, come back inside." The man said sternly, nodding to Yuna as he walked away._

_"You will go with us...to Zanarkand?" Yuna asked, and almost seemed to be pleading, with her voice. _

"_Yeah, I'll go. I'll go to Zanarkand to see it with my own eyes." He replied, gazing off somewhere in the distance._

As the memory faded, his eyes met Nyeha's.

"Tidus—did he--?"

"Tidus didn't know about the Final Summoning until my mom told him in Bikanel." She said sadly, unable to meet his eyes. "Until then, he really didn't know that Yuna would die, if she chose the Final Summoning."

"But she didn't, did she? Tidus was the one who died, right?"

"Tidus was a dream of the Fayth. Truly, he wasn't supposed to exist at all. He didn't die, he disappeared. Yuna looked for him for more than two years after he disappeared, and eventually, the Fayth found a way to bring him back."

"Nyeha?"

"Yes, Vidina?"

"How much do you know about the pilgrimage?"

"A lot, really. I used to beg my mother to tell me stories from the pilgrimage. And she always would, because it would give us hope for a better future."

"Do you think—" He began skeptically, "Do you think you could tell me stories of the pilgrimage? I've always wanted to know what Lady Yuna was like, but the subject was always forbidden on Besaid."

Nyeha smiled, and cleared her throat. "Well, it began like this. Wakka, your dad, found Tidus floating on his back in the ocean outside of Besaid. So he said…"

Hours later, when Nyeha was telling of Macalania Temple, where her mother was rejected as a guardian, Alanis stopped the hover. It was a gentler stop than last time, or so it seemed, at least, because Vidina was awake this time.

"Another gate?" Vidina asked, looking at the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road.

"You bet." Alanis said, rolling her eyes. "You guys go ahead to the gate, I'll park the hover."

The group, a little weak on their feet from the day-long hover trip, ambled over to the gate. Moments later, they heard a high-pitched screech from behind them.

"EEK! Damn you, Livius!" Alanis had screeched, bending slightly over a form crumpled on the ground. A certain blue-haired crumpled form. "I knew there was a reason the desk was empty! You filthy hitch-hiker! Did you expect us to go all the way to Bevelle by hover?!"

The person whom Alanis had addressed as Livius picked himself up off the ground, brushing off the dirt that had stuck to what looked like engine grease. "Alanis—" He began, looking scared, "Please, let me come—I need a job—I can't support myself."

"I know damn well you can support yourself with that _desk job_ you keep. Why in the world would you want to go to Bevelle, anyway?!"

"Why do you?" Livius asked, and Alanis' face flushed slightly. Vidina noted that that happened a lot.

"F—fair enough. If it's alright with Nyeha, I suppose you can come."

"Of course it is." Nyeha said, looking the newcomer up and down. She threw a glance at Vidina, who shrugged. He counted the group, realizing that now there were six of them.

Six guardians, right? Vidina shuddered. It was just a trick of numbers.

"Is there someplace to stay, along the road?" asked Scintilla, who seemed to have magically appeared at Vidina's side.

"What? Afraid of the fiends along the Road?" Cahake teased. Scintilla shuddered a little, but replied,

"No fiends that_ I_ can't handle."

Vidina rolled his eyes. So much overconfidence in one group… Nyeha threw a smile in his direction. It might be her suicide mission, but it would be pretty damn interesting, no doubt.


	17. Chapter 16: Sunset, Part Two

**A/N: ****Alright, I'll go ahead and tell you the origin of Scintilla's name, because it's one of the easier ones, actually. Scintilla's name is actually the basis for the majority of her character design, because 'Scintilla' came from the Latin word 'scintillate', which means to spark or flash, and is often associated with explosions, especially fireworks. So Scintilla's firework obsession and her sudden mood swings actually came from her name.**

**See? I'm not as creative as you thought I was.**

**Ogro:**** I've explained about Scintilla's name symbolism, but the others are actually harder. There's actually a lot of mystery surrounding Livius, so I won't say much, but he has some important connections, and someone knows him better than they're letting on. I'll take care of the Guado and the Ronso later, but I will say that the Guado no longer inhabit Guadosalam, and the Farplane is a focal point in the story. Once again, I hope to get around to the 'fake Nyeha' thing in the next chapter, but I couldn't really work it in this one without completely ruining the pacing. So, uh, yeah.**

**Forgotten Lies:**** I really didn't know about the 'scilla' flower thing, but I think I'll go look up a picture of that…**

**Xenolion: ****Well, I was going to try and work the 'fake Nyeha' thing into this chapter, but as I explained in my reply to Ogro, it totally ruined the pacing of the chapter. So hopefully, that will all be explained sometime soon. As far as Livius goes, There's a lot you'll find out about him, and I'm afraid if I answer your question, I might give away some of the mystery surrounding his character. **

**Takai-taka: ****Well, here it is, and thanks for reviewing! **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Sixteen:**

_"Sunset, Part Two"_

On their way to the hotel just inside the gate, the group began to question the newcomer.

"Why did you decide to hitch-hike in our hover?" Nyeha asked, a cross between annoyed and amused. Both emotions got through to Livius.

"Because I felt like locking myself in the engine compartment of a forbidden machina." He replied sarcastically, while rolling his eyes, "I've always wanted to go to Bevelle, but I've never had the money, nor the means. Not to mention, no one really wanted to travel with me."

"_It's a wonder why_," Alanis replied, still cross. "I've always found you _so_ pleasant to be around." He replied simply with a glare, and continued speaking with the rest of the group.

"I've been stuck with that stupid desk job for years, and I have _waay_ too much talent to be dealing with that."

"Uh, talent in what area?" Cahake asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Vidina had to admit, he didn't look much like a blitzball player. Even in a dark sleeveless shirt, he looked pale and to be honest, not very muscular.

"Are you a musician?" Nyeha asked. That would certainly account for his blue hair, Vidina thought.

"Why, no," Livius began, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, "I'm a historian, for god's sake."

Scintilla, being the youngest and most immature of the group, was the one that actually burst out laughing, while the other four only thought about doing so. But she quickly caught herself, her own hand flying over her mouth. All heads turned to her and her face flushed.

"It--It's just that--well--you don't really look much like a _historian_." She stuttered, feeling embarrassed now.

"I know," Livius said admittedly, "but appearances are deceiving, no?"

"We all have our secrets, don't we?" Nyeha whispered to Vidina. He nodded, because he, too, had the feeling that none of the people in their party was exactly what they seemed.

* * *

They pooled their gil (which wasn't much) to purchase six hotel rooms, but no one seemed tired. Nyeha silently excused herself and left the hotel building, Alanis worked on the hover's slightly damaged engine compartment, Livius poured himself into a book he had found in the lobby, Scintilla lit off firecrackers she had smuggled with her and Cahake was watching intently. Vidina sighed. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Nyeha's bag sitting in plain sight on the table where Livius was reading, and decided that he should probably take it into her room, lest someone discover something that pointed to her heritage. He grabbed it off the table in a quick, subtle movement, such that Livius didn't even glance at him.

He briskly walked down the hallway to Nyeha's room, which he remembered as A-9, and tried to get in. But alas, the door was locked. Vidina sighed. Nothing was ever easy, was it? He thought about the way that Nyeha had scooted out the door without a word to anyone, even him, and decided it would be best to leave her to herself. For a moment, he stared at the door, as if that alone would open it, and then came up with an idea nothing short of brilliant. He rifled through the bag until he found what he was looking for: a lock pick. Within seconds the lock clicked and the door swung open revealing an empty hotel room.

Vidina sighed, setting the bag on her nightstand and sitting on the bed for a moment, peering at the bag. He opened it for a moment to put the wire lock pick back in, and caught sight of a small book under the pad of paper on which they had written the Spiran/Al Bhed translations. Even though he was pretty sure he knew what it was, he pulled the book out, anyway.

The book was green, about six inches wide and six inches tall, and scribbled on it in Nyeha's hand was "Zuinhym".

Journal.

His curiosity growing into a large crescendo, he knew that no good could come of reading this journal, but now that he knew it existed, he wasn't sure if he could bear the curiosity that would come along with it.

He turned to the first page, and the journal began with the faded, scribbled hand of a ten year old Nyeha, according to the date at the top of the page. He flipped through, and gradually, the ink looked more recent and the handwriting was much better. Also, although she had started off with all of her entries completely in Al Bhed, she began to incorporate Spiran into the sentences, so for a while, they were a mixture of both.

About the time the entries were completely converted to Spiran, she was making the preparations to leave this island.

"_I'm scared. After all, what if I don't get to come back? If I don't save the island, have I still fulfilled a purpose?" _

He continued flipping the pages, until he found his name for the first time.

"_This boy named Vidina broke into my airship when I crashed on Besaid. I don't know what's up with him, but he seems intent on staying with me. I'm sure he'll leave once we get to Kilika. I am an Al Bhed, after all. The Spirans have all learned to hate the Al Bhed, and this kid, (even with the name he has), is probably no different."_

He raised his eyebrows and frowned, feeling indignant. Upon closer examination, there were grease smudges spotting the page, so she had probably written it while fixing the engine of the airship.

"_I just got back from salvaging some parts out of the temple. I wonder—the future kid is asleep in the hotel room. Should I leave him? It would probably be best for him…But he saved me, after all…Oh, right. About that. There was this piece of glass, and—"_

Vidina couldn't bear to read more. Nyeha had considered leaving him in Kilika? But he looked again. She really was looking out for his well-being, no matter how much he insisted that he was coming.

"_He insisted on staying, even when I approached him at daybreak on top of the airship. He's right; it does get lonely up here. It's nice to know that even though I barely know him, someone's—there for me." _

He shut the book. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't seem to read any farther. Did he not want to know what Nyeha felt about him? He sat for a moment, trying to work out exactly what had stopped him so suddenly, but he knew he had to figure it out on his own. Giving the journal one last glance, he put it back in the bag, and stared at the empty white wall for a long moment. At once, a memory stirred in the back of his mind.

* * *

_Wakka had caught a seven-year-old Vidina playing in the Besaidian cave, and had quickly pulled him aside to let him know that that was off limits._

"_But whhyyyy?" Vidina had whined, not understanding the dangers of such a cave. _

"_There could be all kinds of monsters in there, ya? We don't want you getting hurt."_

"_I can scare off any monster that comes after me!" Vidina had replied, pulling himself up to look taller than he was, and swung his stick in front of him like a sword._

"_I'm sure you can," Wakka had said, smiling as he ruffled his son's orange hair, but added cautiously, "but it can't hurt to be careful, just in case, ya?" Vidina withered._

"_Okay…" He replied sadly, disappointed. Wakka, thinking back to his talks with Yuna, decided to tell his son,_

"_There's another cave, in a faraway place called 'Mushroom Rock Road'."_

"_Really?" Vidina asked, his face brightening, "Do you think I'll get to go there someday?"_

"_I'm sure you will." Wakka said, smiling as he walked back to the village with his son. "The monsters in there are even scarier than the ones in our cave."_

"_Whoa—" Vidina said, amazed. It was hard for his seven-year-old mind to imagine anything beyond his island, because right then, Besaid was his whole world._

"_But I'm sure you'll get to go there some day, and you'll be strong enough to beat any monster that gets in your way."_

"_You really think so?" Vidina asked, thoroughly excited as his father nodded. "Wow, I can't wait!"_

* * *

"Irony." Vidina said, still staring at the wall. "When I got older, I figured I was going to live my entire life on that island, from birth to death, and never really experience any of the things I had dreamed about. But then again, here I am…" He trailed off, humor in his voice. Then, he realized he was talking to himself, and it was a little creepy. He shook his head, and began to wonder about the cave.

"Is it real?" He wondered aloud. Sighing, he added, "My dad could have just been making it up to scare me into not wandering into the cave again. But Nyeha and I, we may not make it through this." He said, reminding himself with a sharp pang that escaping the island-prison and helping an escapee were both considered high treason, and he assumed the punishment was death. So why did he continue like this? This journey could cost him his _life_. But right now, he seemed numb to the idea. He didn't care, he had to see this through. For Nyeha's sake.

He got up and walked out of the room.

* * *

In her brightly colored Lucan clothing, Nyeha was easy to spot among the rocks and rubble of the cliff. Below the steep drop, there was an equally rocky-looking coast, and a dark sea beyond. She sat on the very edge, dangling her feet over as she stared off into the distance, where a storm was brewing out on the ocean. Lately, his vision had been clouded by conflict, worries and stresses, he realized. But at that particular moment, he saw Nyeha as he had first seen her, as he found her hiding on a wrecked airship. For just an instant, a second pulled out of time, he saw her as he always had.

Beautiful.

Her wheat-golden hair was down again, blowing haphazardly in the early winds of the storm. Her green eyes, clouded by sadness, seemed just as stormy as the seas out beyond the horizon, and her tanned and calloused skin seemed perfect and flawless. He could see she was in pain, from the creased frown on her face, to the way her eyes seemed to quiver in the face of the wind, but she had not lost her air of defiance, of purpose. She had a meaning, in this life.

And Vidina slowly realized that now, he did too.

He walked over and sat beside her, in complete silence.

She didn't turn to look at him, but he could tell that his presence was registered in her mind, without a single nod or glance in his direction.

"Nyeha, is something—"

"Yes, Vidina, something is wrong." She began turning to look at him with those same sad eyes. She sighed, continuing, "The instructions seemed clear. I had a plan. I was going to follow it, down to the letter. My mother and I, we planned this together. She specifically warned me of something that would change my journey entirely, but I didn't really understand, at the time. But I do now." She added, turning back to face the sea, "I was specifically told not to fall in love."

**A/N: Hmm...I almost felt this chapter was too choppy. Crappy pacing with this one, even though I removed the scene from Bikanel. **


	18. Chapter 17: Afraid

**A/N: Wow. I can't believe it, but I'm on chapter seventeen. That scares me a little bit, because I'm not even halfway through, yet. **

**I just have to say that the new Yellowcard album is amazing, and everyone should buy it. For those of you who have it (if any) you'll recognize a lot of the coming chapter titles.**

**Ogro, I must admit, I absolutely love your reviews. I was hoping no one would catch that slip up, and I kept meaning to take that line out, but I'm lazy and it finally bit me in the ass. Disregard that mistake. **

**Pray for Rain**

**Chapter Seventeen:**

"_Afraid"_

"Why is that?" Vidina asked, turning to look at her. Unable to make eye contact with him, Nyeha stared on at the distant sea, as the storm grew closer.

"My mother, as optimistic as she is, doesn't always believe in happy endings. At least, not since Yuna disappeared." She began, slightly breathless, "She saw what happened to Tidus and Yuna. Not from the beginning, mind you, but the moment she saw them together on the Moonflow, she saw what was there and she knew. After their run-in with authorities in Bevelle, she knew that Yuna wanted to quit her pilgrimage. Not just because of Yevon's betrayal, but because she had fallen in love and didn't want to give up her life. Even when they continued on, Tidus still fought for her and eventually gave up his life to make sure she kept hers. She spent two long years searching for a way to bring him back, while my mother could only look on at Yuna's pain as she threw herself into a life of sphere-hunting, just to bring him back. When the Fayth granted Tidus his life back, she thought all was well, but a year later, they both disappeared without a trace. She and my father, along with our entire race, were sent to Bikanel and imprisoned. Since then, she hasn't believed in happy endings. She told me that she was afraid that if I fell in love during my journey, that all would not end well. It didn't for Tidus and Yuna, and it certainly didn't for her."

There was a clap of thunder and it slowly, steadily began to rain. There was a long silence, in which neither really knew exactly what to say. An idea struck Vidina.

"Nyeha, come with me. There's something I need to see."

If this cave was real, he was going to find it. At least, if he died saving Nyeha, he would have fulfilled what his father had told him so many years ago. And then he would have felt like he had accomplished something, right? That he had a purpose, right?

"What exactly are you looking for?" Nyeha asked. In truth, she still looked slightly shocked by her own bout of honesty, and was glad that they were off the subject. At least, for the moment. Vidina had to admit, he was a little afraid that—well—he didn't like to admit it—but—he would be angry if he found out she was in love with anyone but him. At the moment, he didn't understand. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he wanted to. He couldn't possibly have fallen for an escaped Al Bhed prisoner that had sent herself on her own suicide mission, right?

"A cave. I was told that there was a cave here."_  
_

* * *

_Vidina had asked about the cave years later, and Wakka felt that his son was owed a proper explanation. _

"_Yuna was the one who told me of the cave, I never once set foot in there myself." Wakka sighed and shook his head, "I'm glad I didn't, ya? It scarred Yuna for life, and she told me she still had nightmares about it, years later." _

"_What happened?" A twelve-year-old Vidina asked, concerned by what might have frightened the High Summoner that way. _

"_Her friends got possessed by a spirit, and drove them insane before her eyes. The spirit, called Shuyin, tried to possess her too. She had to fight them, ya? Her best friends. They came to her senses, but it was painful for her, ya? I know you said that you would go there some day, but I don't think you want to, Vidina."_

"_Of course I do!" Vidina said, fired up now. "I'm going to go there, and I'll fight that spirit! So when Yuna comes back, maybe she won't have to worry about that anymore."_

_It was later that he found out who Shuyin was, and that he was already gone._

* * *

Nyeha paled. 

"There's only one cave here."

"Why is that—"

"It's called the Den of Woe."

Vidina paled slightly as well, but turned his head sideways so she couldn't see.

"You know how you always talk about the Al Bhed's liberation, how you feel like it's something that you have to do? I feel like we need to go to this cave. I feel like this is something that _we_ have to do." He had sometimes thought about the Den of Woe, one of the few parts of Yuna's life that had been revealed to him before having spoken to Nyeha. He had imagined going there, exploring its depths, but never once had he imagined doing it with someone else by his side. When he looked at Nyeha, she had turned around to face the sea again, staring off into the distance.

"You're right."

Vidina was slightly startled, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am." Nyeha said, with a slight forcefulness to her tone as she turned back and walked passed him, the pair setting foot on Mushroom Rock Road for the very first time.

* * *

All was well until they were attacked. 

The monster wasn't much, a lizard about the size of a small horse, but it seemed so to Vidina, who was unarmed. It has snuck up behind them, and leaped toward Vidina, who sensed the movement and spun, but it was too late. The monster had taken a claw and latched into the back of his arm, so when he turned, it made a nasty cut on his arm that burned with something that felt like poison.

Nyeha was on it immediately. She tossed him a potion, and pulled out her knife in the space of a second or two. If Vidina hadn't been bleeding so badly, he might have taken the time to realize just how amazing she was. The lizard was fast, but Nyeha was faster. She had managed to drag the end of her blade along the top of its head as it leaped, but the cut wasn't deep enough and only made it angry. Ignoring Vidina in favor of its attacker, it leaped for her once more, but she faltered and was soon pinned down by the lizard, her knife knocked out of her hand.

"Vidina!" She cried, "Do something!"

He panicked, quite unsure of what to do, but all aware that he was running out of time. He felt something welling up inside of him, something he hadn't felt in a long time. It overcame his senses, as if his mind was underwater. And suddenly, he knew what he needed to do.

"THUNDER!" He cried, and a bolt of lightning shot out of the sky as the area darkened, and the monster collapsed on Nyeha, who looked a mixture of startled and relieved. She pushed the monster's bloody corpse out from above her, retrieved her knife, and ran over to meet her companion. Without thinking, he embraced her, and as she buried her head into his chest, he felt her form shaking in his arms. She would never admit it, but she was terrified.

"You did great." She said, her voice as shaky as her body.

"_You are truly your mother's son, Vidina." _

"What?" Vidina said, looking around for the source of the voice.

Nyeha looked up, and let go of him slightly. "You did great."

He shook his head slightly, hoping to clear his head.

"C'mon, Nyeha." He began walking in no certain direction, set on convincing himself he had imagined the voice.

"Is something wrong, Vidina?" Nyeha said, jogging slightly to catch up to him as she slipped her knife back into is sheath behind her leg.

"No, I'm fine."

Nyeha winced, looking slightly hurt, but continued walking. A slight purple haze was descending over the road, and as she looked around, she saw something she hadn't noticed before.

"Look, Vidina!" She pointed to a part of the road that forked off the main path, which stair-stepped down into what looked like a ravine. "I bet the cave's down there!"

Vidina nodded, swallowing slightly. The humming, the vibrations, he could feel it, could she? He knew the cave was down there. He could _sense_ it. He looked over at Nyeha. Could she sense it, too?

* * *

"_Drao'na kuha, Mekred. ((__**They're gone, Mekred**__.))" Rikku said to her son, who was still breathing fast. _

_"Yna oui cina?((__**Are you sure?**__))" He said, his voice shaky and his face pale._

_"Oac. Oui tet veha. ((__**Yes, you did fine**__.))" She said calmly, stroking her son's wheat-blonde hair affectionately. _

_The blonde-haired almost-Nyeha sat in the corner, green eyes staring at nothing in particular. They seemed almost blank—empty—but the pair doubted anyone else would notice. Mekred had given her some of Nyeha's memories, enough to get her by. But the family had kept some for themselves, things they thought were too important to her. They missed her, a lot, even if they didn't speak of her absence. Rikku looked over at her son to see that he too was staring at the girl in the corner._

"_Sus, ec Nyeha kuehk du pa ugyo?((__**Mom, is Nyeha going to be okay? **__))" Mekred asked, turning back to look at his mother, tears in his eyes._

"_Cra'mm pa veha. ((__**She'll be fine.**__))" Rikku reassured her son softly, "Cra'c uh yh ytjahdina. ((__**She's on an adventure**__.))"_

* * *

It was when they faced the very entrance of the cave that they faltered. 

They couldn't read the inscription from this far away, but they could see the letters shining, hanging in an unnatural glow.

"Are you sure you want to—" Vidina began one last time, but cut himself off. Nyeha walked slowly towards the door, reading the inscription aloud.

"_Here lies the Den of Woe,_

_Cave of Memories,_

_Grave of a Thousand Stories,_

_The Sealed Heart,_

_And The Farplane's Treasure._

_Enter, but do not look back." _

She turned back to face him, biting her lip and her face masked with concern. "The Farplane's Treasure?" She asked, and knew they were thinking of the same thing.

"The glass." Vidina answered her, his expression matching hers. The mysterious glass resembling the Farplane. Did the answers to all of their questions lie in this cave? He walked forward to stand beside Nyeha, who had turned back to gaze at the letters, still glowing slightly. She seemed slightly fixated on them, reading the inscription countless times, as if demanding it to reveal the secrets of the cave before them. Vidina opened his mouth to ask if she was okay, but thought better of it, and bit his tongue.

"Vidina," She began, spinning slightly to face him, as her fixation seemed to break. She looked panicked, but took a few deep breaths and seemed to calm herself down a bit. She looked down, and it was hard to tell if she was frightened or ashamed. "I don't think I've ever been this scared before."

"Are you sure you want to do this—?" He asked, shuddering a little. Now that they were right outside the cave, the strange sense and the whispers of memories were even stronger, almost unbearable. Nyeha's and even his own voice seemed as if from a great distance.

"It's strange," she said, looking up with an odd look on her face. "The closer we get to this cave, the more I feel I _have_ to.

* * *

Before entering the cave, they took a moment to bandage Vidina's wound. The potion had slowed the bleeding, but the poison from the claw had kept it open. Vidina had never seen anything like it, but Nyeha had insisted that there were such lizards on Bikanel, and that she knew what she was doing. Sighing slightly, she force-fed him a nasty-looking green antidote and wrapped gauze around his upper arm. 

"Feeling better?" She asked, as he lowered himself to the ground, sitting contentedly up against the wall.

"Are you alright?"

"Me?" Nyeha asked, "What do you mean?"

"You don't seem worried about the cave, anymore." Vidina said, peering at her slightly as she sat down as well, his heart beating as he acknowledged that they were dangerously close.

"I am." She said sadly, as if she were disappointed in herself. "I just like to pretend that I'm not." She shuddered.

"C'mon Nyeha. It's getting dark." Vidina said.

"We can't go back without—"

"I wasn't about to say that. I was about to suggest that we go into the cave now."

"Oh. Sorry." Nyeha apologized, her face flushed. They turned simultaneously to the entrance, reading the words once more.

Vidina opened his mouth to ask how they were supposed to get in there, but he shut it and watched as Nyeha moved to the door, slightly trancelike.

With her finger, she traced the last three words of the first line, as the whispers and hummings in his head roared in agreement.

The door opened in a slow, loud way that suggested that the cave had been undisturbed since the Gullwings had explored it.

As if it had been waiting for the pair of them for sixteen years.

Vidina's eyes searched the cave as they entered, darting back and forth at an impossible speed.

A large cloud of small, glowing objects floated before him.

_Pyreflies, _his mind told him.

The cloud twisted and changed until a slightly familiar blonde figure appeared before him.

Where had he seen that man before?

_A memory, _his mind suggested.

As he looked on the man before him, impossible pain shot from his mind through his body, a raw pain he had never quite felt before.

"Nyeha," He gasped, suddenly remembering the girl beside him as he held his head in his hands, "Nyeha! Something's wrong—"

_Here lies the Den of Woe._

Somewhere someplace far away, someone laughed.

**A/N: My goodness, I am so sorry that this chapter took so long! About halfway through, I kinda lost my motivation, but luckily I got up and going again!**


	19. Chapter 18: Light Up the Sky

**A/N: I'm starting this shortly after putting up the previous chapter, but Yevon knows when I'll actually finish it.**

**Ogro: As always, I love your reviews to death. Be warned, there's not much by way of main character interaction in this chapter, but with what little I have I've cleared up some issues that people have been left hanging on.  
**

**Pray For Rain:**

**Chapter Eighteen:**

"_Fighting (Light Up the Sky)"_

_There came a familiar knocking on Rikku's door, and she sighed slightly as she swung her legs out of bed. Before answering, she paused to take a moment and glance at her husband, his sleeping form completely oblivious to the interruption. _'Must be a mother's instinct,' _she mused, chuckling slightly as Gippal snored softly._

"_Sudran?((__**Mother?**__))" She heard her son's voice call softly, and she dragged herself out of her own thoughts enough to cross the room and answer the door. _

"_Fryd'c fnuhk, Mekred? ((__**What's wrong, Mekred?**__))" Rikku asked, and as she swayed slightly, her silky nightgown brushed her knees. She knew that her son only awoke her in the middle of the night when something was wrong, and if he had ever looked it, he did now. His face was pale and colorless, and as he trembled slightly, she noticed that he was clutching a torn-up one-armed bear, his favorite plaything as a child. _

"_E ryt y tnays ypuid Nyeha. ((__**I had a dream about Nyeha.**__))" He answered, clutching the bear tighter as his big green eyes filled with terror. He swallowed, then asked, "Tu oui drehg dra bmyh femm fung?((__**Do you think the plan will work?**__))"_

_Rikku nodded, wanting with every fiber of her being that she could find the right words to comfort her son. "Nyeha femm sucd landyehmo bycc vun y kiynt yd Djose. Cra ghufc aqyldmo fryd du tu, yht cra cbaygc banvald Spiran. ((__**Nyeha will most certainly pass for a guard at Djose. She knows exactly what to do, and she speaks perfect Spiran.**__))" Her heart skipped a beat, knowing that Mekred wouldn't ask such a question without good reason. She bent down slightly, to meet his eyes. "Fro fuimt oui drehg ed fuimth'd fung?((__**Why would you think it wouldn't work?**__))"_

"_E--E ryt y tnays dryd cusauha dryd Nyeha dnicdc femm rind ran. ((__**I--I had a dream that someone that Nyeha trusts will hurt her.**__))" Mekred looked down, unable to meet his mother's eyes. It became clear that he had not really wanted to tell her, because many put stock in the prophetic power of Mekred's dreams, having been gifted with other talents. Rikku knew for a fact that Mekred had kept his dreams from others in the past, for fear of scaring them or hurting them. Then she realized something._

"_Cusauha dryd cra dnicdc...Cra ryc lusbyheuhc?((__**Someone that she trusts...She has companions?**__))" And a look appeared on Rikku's face, a cross between concern and disdain. She sighed, knowing that her daughter followed no one's rules, and that was half the reason she was exploring Spira in the first place. "Ur, Nyeha, Nyeha, Nyeha, so uhmo tyikrdan, so ruba vun dra vidina, fryd ryja oui kuddah ouincamv ehdu?((__**Oh, Nyeha, Nyeha, Nyeha, my only daughter, my hope for the future, what have you gotten yourself into?**_

* * *

"Tidus…?" Vidina asked through clenched teeth as he looked up slightly, asking the ghost-figure if he were truly half of the pair they were searching for. Then, he remembered that Tidus and Yuna were trapped in the Farplane, the glass, the pieces of memories— 

The figure cackled. "It's been sixteen years since someone has mistaken me for him."

"Vidina!" A voice broke through the pain, but he couldn't quite recall whose it was. The figure looked over, to a space beside Vidina. Vidina followed his gaze but there was nothing there. Then the figure's eyes locked with his once more, and unbearable pain shot through his body once more.

"Just how strong are you?" The figure asked, laughing once more. "What's you're mission here? Can you even remember?"

Vidina opened his mouth, but no memories surfaced, only pain. He gasped, and fell to his knees. He knew there was a reason he was here, a reason he was staying. There was something in here that he knew he had to protect, even if it cost him his life. If only he could remember, then maybe everything would stop spinning—

"Vidina!" The voice came again, and for some reason it reminded Vidina of the time before a storm, the way the air smelled strong and the wind would blow, whipping every which way. He heard panting and for a short moment, felt the hot breath of the owner of the voice, but in a moment the figure had sprung toward him. He heard a thump as the invisible owner of the voice hit the wall of the cave, and a slight gasp as they hit the floor.

"Pesky girl." The figure muttered. Vidina felt something else running through him, something other than pain. He was furious. He wasn't quite sure who she was, but he knew that girl was important to him, and anyone who harmed her had to be dealt with. He felt something different welling up inside of him, like he was being drowned inside his own mind, but his instincts acknowledged that he was doing the right thing. All he wanted to do was harm this person who had hurt the girl he couldn't remember.

All of a sudden, he was shoved up against the wall and was being held up by his throat. For the first time, he realized that this might actually kill him, and he might not make it out of this cave alive. For a short instant, his found his grip on reality as well as his memories, and he remembered why he was here and who he was protecting. And he realized who he was fighting. And then it was all gone again, but he knew he had to fight.

"THUNDER!" He cried, and as the figure was struck on the head, he fell to the ground, stunned, but alive. The figure's face twisted and changed, and when it spoke, it was with a far different voice.

"_Attack her." _

Vidina's instincts disagreed and instantly rejected the idea of attacking the girl he was protecting, but they seemed to be silenced when another wave of pain rushed through his body. He stepped forward, looking for the girl. He had to do this.

"Vidina!" He heard her voice again, and for a moment, faltered. But every defiant voice in his body was silenced as the figure cackled.

All at once, he felt the girl rush from behind him and put her arms around him, and both the pain and the mysterious figure disappeared in a rush of memories as a vision descended before his eyes.

* * *

"_Stay back!" Yuna cried cocking her guns and aiming them at Shuyin. _

"_This is our story, Lenne." He replied, his voice dreamy and trance-like. _

"_Don't make me say this again! I'm…not…Lenne!" A tear ran down her face as she aimed her guns at Shuyin once more. Shuyin laughed, cackling in the same way he had at Vidina. Paine and Rikku appeared beside him, and Vidina was aware of Nyeha's trembling presence around him. "Stop!" Yuna shouted, shaking and sobbing slightly. _

"_Rikku..?" Yuna asked slowly, but her friend ran towards her at an impossible speed, swinging her daggers at the High Summoner. Yuna blocked the blows, but just barely. It was obvious that she didn't want to fight her friend. Rikku looked up and screamed, and it became apparent that she was being tortured. Yuna looked away slightly as she took aim and shot Rikku in the shoulder, enough to send her flying a few feet and knock her out, dropping her daggers as she fell to the ground. She looked down and clenched her eyes shut, trembling in a mixture of fear and righteous rage. She looked back up just in time, as Paine rushed at her as well, using her sword to knock Yuna's guns out of her hands. Suddenly defenseless, Yuna grabbed one of Rikku's abandoned daggers and swiped at the woman before her, the blade clipping Paine by the edge of her eye, and the tip dragged down through her cheek, bleeding profusely as Paine came to her senses. _

_Yuna gave Rikku a potion as she regained consciousness. "Shuyin is no ordinary unsent!" The former exclaimed, as she drank the potion hastily. _

"_Seems that way. When he died a thousand years ago, his feelings became_

_intertwined with the pyreflies, creating this...apparition." Paine said thoughtfully, her brow furrowed._

"_He's like a dream…or a nightmare." Yuna said, shivering. As she turned away, she wiped her face, not wanting to reveal to her friends her tear-stained cheeks. _

"_He must have had some serious regrets for his feelings to act on their own like that." Rikku said, looking frightened. _

"_This is what destroyed the Squad. Despair strong enough to crush the minds of those it touches. What just happened to us happened to them, too. Here. They felt Shuyin's despair. They went mad, and they died. They killed each other!" Paine cried, looking pained by the memory. All at once, visions appeared of Nooj, Baralai and Gippal, as they aimed their guns at one another. _

_Shuyin reappeared. "But these three lived. So I decided to use them."_

_And he laughed once more, cackling in such a way that frightened Vidina beyond belief. He clenched the glass in his hand until he felt it pierce his skin, but he immediately felt Nyeha's warm hands on his own._

* * *

"_Sudran? ((__**Mother?**__))"_

_When Vidina thought the vision had disappeared, he heard a voice. It was almost familiar, but something seemed off about it. Soon, there was a visual to match the voice, and Vidina laid eyes on what seemed to be a young Nyeha, about thirteen years old, peering at her mother intently. _

"_Oac, Nyeha? ((__**Yes, Nyeha?**__))" Rikku asked softly, bending down on one knee to reach her daughter's height. _

"_Fryd'c dryd uh ouin cruimtan?((__**What's that on your shoulder?**__))" Nyeha asked, getting straight to the point and not beating around the bush. "Ed muugc mega y kihcrud fuiht. ((__**It looks like a gunshot wound.**__))" She added in a slightly softer voice, cocking her head curiously. _

_Rikku closed her eyes and swallowed, looking away for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. She reached up and touched the scar lightly, with the very tips of her fingers. "Ed ec. ((__**It is.**__))" She swallowed again. "E--E hajan dumt oui ypuid dra [Den of Woe, tet E?((__**I—I never told you about the Den of Woe, did I?**__))" Nyeha shook her head. Rikku drew a shaky breath. _

"_Famm, du syga y muhk cduno crund, eh drec lyja, dra [Den of Woe, E fyc buccaccat po y cbened, lymmat [Shuyin, yht E--E dneat du gemm Yuna. Rec tacbyen duug ujan sa yht tnuja sa syt--nasaspan[Nyeha, so tyikrdan, dryd drec ec fryd tacbyen lyh tu. ((__**Well, to make a long story short, in this cave, the [Den of Woe, I was possessed by a spirit, called [Shuyin, and I--I tried to kill Yuna. His despair took over me and drove me mad--remember[Nyeha, my daughter, that this is what despair can do.**__))"_

* * *

Vidina returned to his senses in a way that he internally compared to being shoved back into his own body, his own mind. He returned to find Nyeha's hands still on his own, and a nasty-looking cut where the he had clenched the glass. Wait—the glass?

"Where did this come from?" Vidina asked, but cut himself off when he decided that there was a more important question to be asked. "Is Shuyin gone?"

"I think so." Nyeha replied, still trembling, and shook her head slightly. As Vidina looked up from his hands, he realized that she was still crying. Driven by an unknown force, he reached up and wiped a tear off her face, with the hand that wasn't bleeding. She turned back toward him slightly, eyes full of a thousand questions and a thousand desires.

"Vidina, I've never felt despair like that before." She paused, swallowing in a way that reminded him of her mother. "I was so scared—I—I was so afraid to lose you. I knew that if Shuyin killed you, my own despair would kill me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something ever happened to you. From the moment I saw you, I didn't want you to come with me because I knew this was a suicide mission, and in a moment I knew that you would be the one thing that would make me want to survive." She looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "I escaped Bikanel to die, but I think I always knew that I was looking for someone to live for." She turned back in his direction but clenched her eyes shut and looked down, unable to stop herself from saying what she wanted to say. "And I finally found you—or maybe you found me. But from the first thing you said to me, the first time I met your eyes, I knew that all I wanted was to be by your side until I left this world, whether that be tonight or a hundred years from now." She looked up, finally, and met his eyes with a small, mirthless smile, "I just wanted you to know that all I want is you."

As Vidina opened his mouth, they heard an explosion from outside, and turned and peered out the door.

Fireworks in all shapes and colors were shooting across the dark night sky, lighting up the night like Vidina had never seen. He quickly glanced over as a green firework lit up Nyeha's face as she gazed into the sky, and he silently thanked Scintilla and her obsession for the perfect moment.

"You have always been better with words than me, Nyeha." Vidina confessed, "But I can still say what I want to say. I love you too, Nyeha." And he pulled her into his arms and she kissed him as another firework went off. He decided not to ask what that funny smile was about, but as they broke apart slightly, he decided to mention, "You think they'll worry? It's awful late."

"Cahake might." Nyeha giggled, as Vidina toyed with the idea of a jealous Cahake. But after another moment of silence, a different look passed across Vidina's face. "What?" Nyeha asked, sensing the sudden change of mood.

"Do—do you still want to go to Bevelle?" Vidina asked hesitantly. "There are people there who—you—I—we might—"

Nyeha looked down, still in Vidina's arms, thinking herself. "I know I have you—but I feel like—"

"You have to." Vidina said, with a tone that was unable to be read or identified. "I understand." All at once, they heard shouting from the distance, and the fireworks stopped abruptly. There was a scream (Scintilla, Vidina assumed) and the voice of a strong, burly woman, possibly the hotel owner.

"Oh, dear." Nyeha let go of Vidina to stop and try to discern the conversation, held at a shouting level. Vidina shook his head, likewise shaking with silent laughter.

"I suppose we should go save Scintilla's ass before we get kicked out of the hotel."

"Sounds fair to me, future-boy."


	20. Chapter 19: Honesty

**A/N: WAAHHH! I feel soo guilty for neglecting this for so long, but with marching band season at its peak, I've been busy as hell and to be honest, stopped by writer's block. But now I'm back on track, and after writing a bunch of crackish KH drabbles, I think I'm ready to get out another chapter of PFR.**

**Thank god.**

**Ogro:**** It seems I am only able to answer part of your review. Because I know that that chapter was in need of some clarification, yes, Vidina was possessed. There were times when he was able to separate Shuyin from Nyeha, in his mind, because Shuyin had taken them both over. So Vidina only saw Shuyin, not Nyeha, and attacked her without knowing it. But by the time Shuyin had Vidina up against the wall, Shuyin and Nyeha were completely separated, he was just unable to see her. As for Mekred, well, there's not a lot I can say without giving anything away…**

**Forgotten Lies: ****I can see where this particular part, in general, may have been hard to understand and messy, because I went out on a limb and decided to tweak my writing style to try and mimic the mind of someone slowly being possessed, namely Vidina. All I can say is that it was an experiment, honestly.**

**Because I just now realized how important this chapter is, I have to write a little paragraph letting everyone know that this chapter is the very chapter that will put me over 100k words on this account. I will have had this account for three years in a couple of months, and it's hard to believe I've really written this much in this amount of time, even three years. I never imagined I would be doing this well, so I just want to thank all of the people who read and review, even the ones without accounts, because I never would have made it this far without you. I hope for another three happy years and another 100k words, and if great readers like you are still around then, I'm sure it will be no problem.**

**  
Love, Skye  
**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Nineteen:**

"_Honesty"_

"But the fireworks aren't_ illegal_…" Scintilla whined, drawing out the last word in her naturally squeaky preteen voice.

"They may not be illegal in these parts, but it's still a disturbance to our guests." The hotel owner, a stout, tanned woman pointed out. "And I still have the right to eject you and your companions from the premises."

It was at this point that Nyeha and Vidina arrived back at the hotel, when they opened the door and came upon Scintilla, whose hands and face seemed to be covered in a layer or dark soot, and whose fingertips appeared to be burned. As all eyes turned to them, Vidina realized how odd of a sight this was, and how unphased the other guests at the hotel seemed to be, even the ones that _weren't_ traveling with Scintilla.

Livius's book was sitting contentedly at the other end of the table, while he read a newspaper that he had seemed to have pulled out of the trash. Alanis, her face smudged with grease, was in conversation with the hotel worker as she held a laundry basket balanced on her right hip, while Cahake changed the bandages on his injured leg with the help of another guest. But as Nyeha and Vidina entered, all eyes turned from their various activities to the two who walked in the door, and Scintilla, still cowering slightly, was the one to speak up and ask:

"What took you so long?"

While Nyeha raised a single finger indignantly, probably to point out that it was none of Scintilla's business what took them so long, Vidina cut in quickly with a better answer.

"We took a walk, to scout out where we'll be traveling tomorrow."

Nyeha shot him a quick glance, smiling slightly, silently commending him for being quick on his feet.

"Are you with her?" The hotel owner asked, pointing an angry, accusatory finger at Scintilla.

Vidina shook his head slightly, shaking with silent laughter as he acknowledged the blatantly loaded question.

"We are, yes." Nyeha said wryly. Scintilla half smirked, happy that someone had stood up to claim her.

"Well, if you don't keep her and her fireworks under control, all of you are going to be sleepin' outside tonight." The hotel owner turned around and walked back into the back room, her commanding air following.

"Does anyone else need their clothes washed? I'm doing laundry." Alanis asked loudly. A poor, ratty looking man slumped in the corner looked up hopefully, to which she added, "I mean, anyone with _us_."

Vidina looked down at himself. He had been kidnapped; he hadn't exactly had time to pack a spare change of clothes, so he had to admit he looked a little worse for wear.

"Vidina, Nyeha, you guys look like a wreck. No offense, or anything. Livius, will you let Vidina borrow your change of clothes while I wash his? I'll take care of Nyeha." Alanis said, already collecting Cahake and Scintilla's laundry.

Livius made a disgruntled noise and continued reading his newspaper for a few seconds, but couldn't resist the terror of Alanis' glare as she turned back around, and eventually he grunted, "Follow me…", as he heard Alanis said absentmindedly to Nyeha,

"This is going to be one hell of a job…"

* * *

And one long two hours later, Vidina was back in his own, clean clothes, and he was watching Nyeha braid her hair. Livius' clothes had been stuffy, fancy and unnecessary, not exactly your typical Mi'ihen town clothes. But he wasn't going to stop and contemplate that now, he was watching Nyeha braid her hair. He sat in a chair at Livius' table while she sat on the floor, looking into a small hand mirror placed on her lap as she neatly braided her wheat-blonde hair. For a moment, she paused, and pulled something out of her bag. In her hands were two soft, green feathers that matched her eyes in the most perfect of ways. As she slowly braided the feathers into her hair, he marveled at how beautiful she looked. 

"No, seriously, what took you guys so long?" Scintilla came and sat beside Vidina, and he took a moment to look at her. She had changed into clean clothes, thanks to Alanis, and had vigorously scrubbed her hands and face, but her skin was still slightly stained by the soot. All heads turned Vidina's direction once more, even Nyeha's.

"I told you before, we took a walk." Vidina said, his face a mask of confusion. He harbored no desire to explain the Den of Woe to his companions, no matter how genuine they seemed.

"Which explains the oozing wound on your arm, and the cut on Nyeha's face…?" Scintilla pointed out, and Vidina's eyes darted to Nyeha's, immediately finding the cut Scintilla had spoken of. Earlier it had been hidden by her hair, but now a nasty wound was visible near her hairline, and they locked eyes for a moment. He thought, then got off his chair, bent down, and whispered in her ear softly,

"Dryd--fych'd Shuyin, fyc ed? ((**That—wasn't Shuyin, was it?**))" He carefully ran his finger down the side of her face, then traced the cut on her head. It would scar, he knew.

"Vidina, oui teth'd--oui fanah'd ouincamv—((**Vidina, you didn't--you weren't yourself--**))" She mumbled back almost inaudibly, a look of sadness on her face. No one else in the room seemed to know what was going on, or why they were mumbling. Vidina, still slightly horrified, traced the wound with his finger one last time before whispering,

"Bmayca vunkeja sa...((**Please forgive me...**))"

"You needn't worry." She whispered, in Spiran, before adding in Al Bhed, "E ymnayto ryja. ((**I already have.**))"

* * *

After explaining to Scintilla that they had run into some fiends on the trail (not technically a lie), the group unanimously decided that they had had a long day, and would have a longer one tomorrow, if they hoped to reach Djose anytime soon. As the others ambled off to bed, Vidina reached out and touched the feathers in Nyeha's hair. Understanding, Nyeha turned around and smiled at him, and Vidina was sure her face gave off its own light, the way she shined. 

He looked around; even the clerk had found his way back into the back of the hotel. Now, Vidina decided, was the best time to ask her about her feathers.

"Oh, the ones in my hair?" She replied, reaching back and touching them herself. "They're a trademark fashion statement of the Al Bhed. I took them out when I knew I was escaping from the prison, so there would be one less physical feature to condemn me."

"So why did you put them in now?" Vidina asked, curious.

"It was sort of—a way to prove to myself that I am not afraid, that I can't fight for my race if I'm still running from my identity." She spoke in a low whisper, but four words still hung in the air, filled with power and strength.

_I am not afraid._

* * *

He walked back to his room shortly after that long silence and a stolen kiss, his mind and body slowly shutting down from a complete overload. But instead of falling asleep instantly, his mind still whirring with thought kept him awake as he lay on the sheets, staring at the white, anonymous ceiling. How long had it been since he had slept in his own bed, back on Besaid? For a moment, he felt a pang of homesickness, but it passed quickly, and he was thrilled to be abroad. He was grateful for the chance to explore Spira, even at the side of a prisoner on a suicide mission…. 

And he fell asleep.

* * *

"Rise and shine!" A slightly familiar voice chirped. 

Vidina groaned. There was no way it could be morning already, and Alanis was playing a cruel, cruel joke on him. But as he wiped his eyes, he couldn't deny that daylight was streaming through the window, and Alanis seemed as bright-eyed and busy-tailed as ever. He marveled once more at how warmly she was dressed, she was even wearing a hat now, but he simply shrugged and shook his head, trying to wake his mind up as well as his body.

"Alanis!" A voice called from the hallway, and after a moment he recognized it as Livius'. "Alanis! I can't find my glasses!"

Vidina looked up at Alanis just in time to watch her face flush as she mumbled something containing the words 'blue-haired' 'arrogant' and 'dumbass', though he couldn't quite discern what. She rushed out of the room, as if someone had ruffled her hypothetical feathers. So Vidina was left wake up himself, and after wandering out to the front desk and purchasing himself some breakfast, he found Cahake in the corner of the room, who had been unusually quiet, lately.

"You'd think that as a famous blitzball player, I'd be used to drama, but I never quite imagined that a journey could be this—"

Vidina decided he liked it better when Cahake was quiet.

As Cahake rambled on about high school in Kilika, his blitzball schedule and the girls he had dated, Vidina silently ate his breakfast, a sugared bread of some kind.

Scintilla appeared from the hallway, her multicolored hair sticking out at odd angles. As she stumbled over to the counter to hand over her room key, Vidina noted that she seemed peeved at the world in general. Obviously not a morning person. As he finished his breakfast, he also noted that there was some shouting coming from one of the rooms near the back, but even from the front of the building he could tell that it was Alanis and Livius arguing again. Yevon knows what they were fighting about this time.

And as if to save him from pondering the relationship of the coworkers, Nyeha appeared from the hallway as well, her blonde hair dripping wet and her skin still glistening slightly, having apparently just taken a shower. She had braided her hair already, the feathers tied neatly at the end. And as she smiled at him from across the room in the way she could do so perfectly, he knew that if he died out here in the rest of Spira, if he never got to go home again, he died with the thought of that smile in his memory.

Alanis walked out hurriedly, her face redder than he had seen it before, and Livius followed close behind, wearing his glasses. (However, they were slightly crooked, which suggested that he had put them on in a hurry.) Upon a closer look, Alanis had tearstains on her face and Livius' pale complexion was flushed as well, just below his eyes and across his nose, however subtle the change may have been. They handed in their room keys, immediately after which Alanis stated loudly,

"We should probably leave. If we go soon, we can make it to Djose before dusk." When she spoke, her voice was still unsure and slightly wary, certainly different from the voice that had awoken Vidina. But he supposed that there was no need to pry, chances were that he would find out what was wrong soon enough. If he knew anything about Alanis and Livius, is that they weren't exactly the subtle kind when it came to expressing feelings.

"She's right." Nyeha said, looking around at her companions. "I want to get to Djose as soon as possible. I have some business to attend to there."

And as Vidina looked on, he was proud of the way she spoke surely and held her head high. He could feel something ending, but this was the start of something, too. He could feel it, somewhere in his veins.

And still her words echoed in his mind.

_I am not afraid. _


	21. Chapter 20: Expectation

**A/N: Announcement:**

**I have priority issues. **

**Now that I have time to figuratively put pen to paper and write, I should be updating the other two chaptered fics I don't have on hiatus, but I'm not.**

**Obviously.**

**But even though twice as many people have my FFXII story faved, guess which one I'm working on.**

**Yeah, this one. Yours Truly is a little too dramatic for me, more than I'm used to, so I can only take it in small doses. **

**But yeah, marching band season is slowly drawing to a close, and I should have some more free time in the coming weeks. **

**Ogro:**** I went back and fixed that translation, although that wasn't one of the more important Al Bhed quotes of the chapter. I kinda freaked when I found out I had screwed up a translation, but I'm glad someone pointed it out to me. I can agree that not much went on in that chapter, but I'm sorta reaching that stage in this story where my characters **_**want **_**to go and do things, like Scintilla wanted to set off fireworks in the last chapter, and Alanis felt like taking the maternal role and doing laundry. I hadn't even planned that, honestly…**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty:**

"_Expectation"_

It didn't take them long to realize that the hover wasn't going to maneuver them through Mushroom Rock Road.

Not even close.

When Alanis had to swerve to avoid a random stalagmite growing out of the middle of the road, it was obvious that they would have to take another course of action, and go on foot.

Naturally, this was met with objection from all sides.

The city girl Scintilla thought that there had to be another way.

"Isn't there like a hover, or an elevator, or something that will get us on the road to Djose?"

Livius was convinced that the problem lay in Alanis' ability to drive the hover.

"It's obvious that you could have avoided that rock and gone past it, it's simply matter of your_—qualification—_or_—capabilities, _one might say…"

Nyeha seemed desperate to have the hover, though she was vague as to why.

"Alanis, are you sure there's absolutely no way we can take it to Djose? Even just that far?"

…And Cahake was on crutches.

"Guys, I'm not sure if I can—"

So Vidina was forced to play peacemaker while Livius and Alanis argued about the latter's—capabilities.

"Hey—hey—hey! Everyone shut up for a minute!" He raised his voice, something he hadn't done in a while, and to his surprise, all eyes turned to him. He cleared his throat. "Alright, it's obvious we can't get the hover through here." Everyone nodded, save Livius, who scoffed. "Scintilla and Nyeha, you're just being lazy, but Cahake really needs a better way to get through here. He's injured, after all." He was lucky that the blitzball player was slightly dimwitted, because he could feel his last for words positively dripping with sarcasm. "Livius, you're just being difficult."

"So what do you propose we do?" Nyeha asked, one eye narrowed slightly, apparently feeling indignant about being called lazy.

"I don't really know how to fix Livius being difficult, but do you think giving Cahake a potion would help?"

Nyeha looked up, nodding her head slightly and smiling half-heartedly, pleasantly surprised at Vidina's suggestion. "At the very least, it would dull the pain in his leg. We could give him one every now and then, at least until we reach Djose and we can stock up again."

"I don't see why that wouldn't work." Nyeha said, apparently forgiving him for calling her lazy. "But I think you're forgetting something." All heads turned to Nyeha, who continued, "This place is absolutely filled with fiends, we'll never make it through unarmed." There was much nodding and some affirmative noises of agreement.

"I keep a sword in my hover, I could use that." Alanis said, eager to be helpful and prove her usefulness.

"Even so, I think we need to head back to the hotel and stock up, if we're going to be doing this on foot." Cahake pointed out, with a slight nod of his head.

"Alanis, do you think you could get us back there?" Scintilla asked, and before the driver replied, she threw a disdainful glance at Livius, who was still smirking.

"Of course I can."

* * *

Vidina observed that it was one hell of a ride back. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure he was going to make it, for it seemed as though Alanis' sole goal was to throw Livius off said hover before they reached the hotel. Nyeha threw the blue-haired historian an evil glare as they got off the hover, legs shaking, and Vidina had to agree that it might have been easier if Livius had let go a long time ago. 

"Back so soon?" The hotel clerk asked, seeming annoyed as she eyed Scintilla.

"Not for long." Nyeha assured, "We're just here to stock up on weapons and items before we take on the road?"

"The hover thing not work out?" The clerk asked, raising her eyebrows sympathetically. The group shook their heads. "Well, the least I can do is show you my wares…"

Half an hour later, the group was fully armed and carrying more items than they were pretty sure they could afford. Cahake had been given two potions and was blinking a little more than usual, but assured the rest of the group that he was okay and could walk. Vidina was happy that he was armed now, especially as his eyes fell on the scar on Nyeha's shoulder. Now that he had a sword, he felt he could protect her, and he was going to be sure that he could defend her from any danger that managed to get in the way of his companion and Bevelle.

They gave Alanis a few minutes to clean out her hover of her belongings, lest it be stolen while they journeyed to Spira's capital city. She managed to fit everything she owned and a few things Livius had smuggled (mostly books) in an old wyrmskin bag with a long strap that she wore on her shoulder. She ran her hand down the cold metal one more time, before rejoining the group that was journeying down the Road.

"Have you been down the Road before?" Cahake asked Alanis, who was still looking slightly downcast.

"I can't say I have." She said, smiling slightly at the attention. "Have you traveled much of Spira?"

"I've never left Kilika, except to go to Luca during blitzball season. I've never even been as far as Mi'ihen, until I started traveling with Nyeha, Vidina and Scintilla." Cahake said, his tone dramatic and expressive.

"I've never been to Kilika," Alanis began pleasantly, her cheeks flushed slightly, "Is it nice there?"

"I think it is, but it's all I've known. Even so, Luca's too big of a city, if you ask me."

"I've always thought so too! I thought it was just me, since I grew up on Bikanel, and all…"

Vidina couldn't help but be biased, (after all, he had never really been fond of Cahake), but still he wondered why he was paying so much attention to Alanis all of a sudden. As they continued down the Road, Cahake and Alanis in rapt conversation, the rest of the group was silent, scouting the area for potential dangers.

"Eek!" Scintilla let out a terrified noise all of a sudden, her shaking hand pointing in the direction of a lightning elemental heading their way, and fast. She let her hand fall back down, gripping the other end of her large pole, but she and everyone else knew that their physical weapons would be useless against such a fiend. All at once, a bolt of lightning shot out of the sky and hit Alanis hard, the girl gasping in pain as she fell to meet the ground.

Livius, though he had purchased a spell book at the inn, seemed to be more concerned with his comrade, so Vidina took the situation into his own hands. He called the magical energy for the third time in his life, and as he waved an arm, a small wave overtook the elemental. It faltered for a moment as it took the damage, but it prepared to strike Alanis once more.

As Vidina charged his Water spell a second time, Nyeha pulled out a dragon scale and threw it in the direction of the elemental, as Scintilla rushed in front of Alanis and Livius to block the second strike with her pole. As the second Water spell hit the elemental, it collapsed and fell to the ground, shortly before bursting into a cloud of pyreflies.

The group recovered quickly, though Alanis was still slightly shaken. After helping her back up (for she had been driven to her knees by the sheer force of the Thunder spell), Livius silently and swiftly left her alone, to walk and talk with Cahake once more. Vidina swore he could see a little bitterness behind his eyes, but decided that it was best to just forget about it. Scintilla's right palm was burned from where her pole had absorbed the lightning, but she resisted the salve that Nyeha offered.

"I've been burned before, I'll be fine."

"I would get healed up now, so you can fight later. I'm afraid we have a long road ahead of us."

* * *

Hours later, Vidina dealt a fatal blow to a Red Wolf. He panted, his sword covered in blood and a scratch down his left cheek oozing blood down his face. He stuck his sword in the ground, kneeling a moment to catch his breath. He didn't think he could make it any farther, he was beaten up and exhausted. 

"Here's a potion." Nyeha handed it to him, and as he looked over he could tell that the others had just gotten done dealing with yet another lizard-fiend. She was panting, and even as she stood her knife was still covered in blood. All six of them were a sorry sight to see, even Cahake, who had managed to stay out of the other's way as much as possible. Sundown was coming soon, and the end of the road wasn't even in sight. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." Nyeha assured him, as if she had known exactly what he was thinking. As he sat down on the ground to drink the potion, she swiftly turned to administer medical treatment to the group that had been fighting the lizard and the mushroom fiend.

He felt replenished slightly, breathing in and breathing out, but even as the wound on his cheek began to mend, he couldn't overcome the exhaustion. As the group reformed, they scouted the road ahead. All they could see was the face of a cliff, with no way up. As Vidina looked it up and down, on the ground, he spotted a circular pattern of stained glass set in the rock, with intricate, beautiful patterns laid by a master.

"Scintilla—see that glass? Go step on it. If it is what I think it is…"

The orange-haired girl threw him a glare, as if asking him why she was the one singled out to test his theory, but as the others watched she said nothing. Walking around Cahake, she slowly stepped into the center of the panel. For a moment, nothing happened, but as she placed her hands on her hips, possibly to retort, water flowed from underneath the panel and that small area of ground was lifted up to meet the top of the cliff, as Scintilla screamed.

Chuckling, Cahake turned to Vidina and asked, "Is that why you picked her?"

"Yeah. I never knew anyone's voice could even _go _that high."

Alanis and Nyeha shook their heads, but still smiling, as Scintilla looked indignant. She tapped her foot slightly, and the rock floated back down, and a loud thudding noise resounded throughout the area as rock met rock once more.

As the group reached the top of the cliff, it became the general consensus that it was time for them to find a place to stay for the night, because there was no way they could reach Djose before dusk, especially considering the condition of the group. After a little bit of searching, they found a neat little alcove with enough room for all six of them, over by what seemed to be an ancient lift. Since this was their first time staying outside of a hotel, they divided up the watch positions.

Vidina and Alanis had first watch, Scintilla and Livius second, with Nyeha and Cahake as third. Vidina was glad that it had worked out that way, he was selfishly glad that he could have an uninterrupted night of sleep, but was also selfishly disappointed that he wasn't with Nyeha. He watched as the other four got settled, and Alanis sighed slightly as she crossed her legs and laid her sword at her side, prepared for anything that might threaten her companions.

As the others got settled in, first watch seemed to drag on forever into the dark, heavy night, the longest three hours Vidina had ever experienced. Alanis was about as far from talkative as you could get, staring off into the distance without a single spoken word. A few times, Vidina glanced over, almost as if to ask if anything was wrong, what she was thinking about or what her history was with Livius was, but her eyes looked positively uninviting and he turned back. She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest, deep in thought. _Naturally,_ Vidina thought.

Everyone had their secrets.

**A/N: I really, really apologize that these last few chapters have been slow, but once they get to Djose, I promise that the action will pick up considerably. **


	22. Chapter 21: Compromise

**A/N: Well, it's nice to know that not **_**everyone **_**hated the last chapter as much as I did. I don't really need to get on a rant as to why it was a horrible chapter, because then you'll got back and read it and realize what I mean. Anyway…**

**Ogro****: Don't worry. Haha, I know what you mean about Scintilla and the Samurai dressphere. That would be so friggin' cool. I absolutely love the development that Alanis is going through, she's turned out to be a really deep and complex character. Anyway, I find all of this so far (save the actual Den of Woe chapter, possibly) to be so excruciatingly boring compared to what I have planned for the rest of the story…**

**wertyase: ****Thank you! And it's nice to know that I'm still bringing in some new readers, too. **

**A little bit of reference toward a Wakka x Rikku friendship thing. I don't even know why I mentioned it in my author's note, but I suppose I didn't want people to get the wrong impression, although I absolutely love that pairing to death. And I suppose I'm just used to warning the readers of 'Yours Truly', because I wrote about three different pairings for Ashe in there before deciding on one to stick with…**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

_"Compromise"_

"Hmpf."

Vidina looked over. Alanis had been the one to break the stony silence at last, with only about half an hour of first watch to go. She had turned her head slightly in his direction, a look of furrowed disappointment plastered on her face.

"I would have thought you would have asked me what I was thinking about, by now." She stated, about as indignant as once could sound in such soft tones.

Vidina peered at her, with raised eyebrows. "I doubted you would tell me anyway, even if I asked." Her shoulders seemed to drop slightly, as if silently letting him know he had made a point. She sighed.

"I—I—worry about my family every night." Alanis confessed, then realized Vidina didn't know the whole story. "We were diggers out on Bikanel until the disappearance. I was only six. We got shoved out of the island, our only home, and we were almost all separated. We couldn't support ourselves, so we run a hover business all over Spira. But my brother—my oldest brother—he's the one I worry about the most." She paused, knowing that she could very well end her story there. But Vidina read through the pause, and continued to listen expectantly. "He—he stayed behind. He was in love with an Al Bhed girl, and he couldn't bear to leave her." She turned away. "And it's so hard, not even knowing if he's alive. He could have been killed years ago, and my family may never know. That's the hardest thing. So that's why I'm going to Bevelle. It's the capital city. Maybe I'll find some answers."

Vidina thought for a moment, realizing that that was why he and Nyeha were going too. They were looking for answers. And maybe, in reality, they all were.

* * *

"_Stop worrying about him." Lulu said, not even announcing herself as she walked up from behind Wakka, who was seated alone behind the temple, staring at the sea. He turned around, smiling in a sad way as she sat down. Even after all these years, he loved that about her, that she could see right through him like no one else, and she never spent a moment pretending otherwise. _

"_Don't you—don't you think that something doesn't add up here?" Wakka said, his gaze returning to the horizon, as if expecting his son's return at any moment. _

"_A lot of things don't add up here." Lulu said quietly, staring out into the sea as well. _

"_But—I mean—how are we even supposed to know if he's okay, ya? They said they found the Al Bhed girl. If he was with her, why didn't they say anything about him? We don't even know where he is, or if he's okay, ya?" _

"_The Yevonites—" She spoke the last word with an amount of disdain that would not be tolerated anywhere near a Counselor, especially considering that she was an Advisor herself… "—haven't always been known for their honesty." She said in the same simple, quiet voice._

"_You think they're lying?" _

"_You think they're not?" _

_Well, Wakka had to admit she had a point. The Yevonites had never seemed comfortable with the truth, so he doubted that they weren't about to start getting friendly with the right side of the law now. "But what about—"_

"_I don't think you give Rikku enough credit." Lulu interrupted, "She's cleverer than you ever believed, especially when her race is at stake." Lulu's brutal, however subtle reference to the conflict that had arisen between the Al Bhed princess and her husband had brought up some painful memories for the man in question. And as expected, she knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling and decided to elaborate. "She changed you, Wakka."_

"_What do you mean by that?" He asked, but the moment the words were out of his mouth, he was onto what she meant._

"_Before Rikku, you never compromised your beliefs for anyone. Not me, not Chappu, not Tidus. It took a girl as stubborn and clever as Rikku to show you the truth. You would not be the person you are today without her intervention." Lulu stated manner-of-factly, but in a more delicate way than she had been previously conversing. _

"_She changed just about all of us, didn't she?" Wakka asked, in a resigning sort of way. Lulu nodded, smiling slightly._

"_She taught you about forgiveness, about taking back your words every now and then, about changing your viewpoint of someone and about seeing people as people. She taught all of us those lessons, but it was you who needed to learn them the most." Lulu said, and noted, smiling in that way she did, that her husband could take all of this without complaint or denial. Probably because it was all true. _

_There was a long silence as the lovers turned their eyes back to the sea, before Wakka broke it. "…so you think she's got everything under control?" _

"_I know so." Lulu said, laying her head on his shoulder. "You just have to trust her now like you trusted her back then."_

* * *

Vidina awoke on his own (for once), and stared at the blue sky above him for quite a while before actually getting up. He peered around camp to observe his fellow companions for a moment, taking in the amusing sight. Alanis had shed her heavy outer jacket and was huddled underneath it while she used a tan sleeve as a pillow. Scintilla had situated herself comfortably (well, as comfortable as one can get sleeping on a rocky Road), using Alanis' cloth bag as a pillow, and Livius was still asleep on one of his spellbooks, looking quite like a student that had fallen asleep while studying.

"Wow, good morning." He turned to see Nyeha standing not too far away, at the front of the alcove with Cahake seated on the other side, his leg propped up with a large sized rock. "I didn't expect you to be up so early."

"I didn't either." He said admittedly.

"Cahake?" Nyeha asked, "Do you think you could wake the others up?"

"Of course." He replied, and then peered up at her, waiting for her to help him up, and she did, and he hobbled off to awaken the rest of the group.

Nyeha sighed. "Yna oui nayto? ((**Are you ready?**))" She mumbled, without making eye contact with him.

"Fryd? ((**What?**))" Vidina asked, after taking a moment to process what she had said.

"Fa'mm pa eh Djose po aynmo yvdanhuuh. ((**We'll be in Djose by early afternoon.**))" She mumbled back, looking up at him. As he processed once more, he wondered why she didn't speak in Spiran, because being slightly nervous about reaching the temple seemed perfectly normal and reasonable to him. Then, he mused, it probably made her feel a little bit better to speak in her native tongue.

"Oui cuiht--clynat. Fryd ec ed dryd oui ryja du tu drana? ((**You sound--scared. What is it that you have to do there?**))" He asked, his curiosity rising. But before she could mumble back, the rest of the group traipsed over, and they could only share a meaningful glance before returning to join the group.

* * *

The lift appeared to be the only way up.

Every other way led to a dead end, so for a while, the members of the group stood in front of the lift, pondering how in the world they were supposed to use that to get up. It was covered in a layer of rust, and when Scintilla kicked it there was a strange clanging noise.

In the end, Alanis set to work on it. She found the control box with ease, and tinkered with a complicated set of knobs and wires that was completely beyond Vidina's comprehension. For a while, she seemed to be making decent progress, but when there was a slight zap of electricity and Alanis jumped, jerking her hand away suddenly, suspicion was aroused. She shook her hand for a moment, then got back to work on it. As Livius raised his eyebrows, looking tempted to make a smartass comment, Alanis' finger came in contact with a broken wire and she swore, putting the injured finger in her mouth and glaring at the offending wire.

"Nyeha? Do you think you could get your fingers in here?" She asked, looking around in her bag for a bandage. Vidina looked over at Livius as Nyeha hurried over, but the blue-haired scholar was oddly silent. Nyeha, with her quick, light fingers and an extensive knowledge of machina, had the lift working in no time.

They watched it move up and down a few times before deciding it was safe, and Scintilla had barely helped Cahake onto the platform before Nyeha reached over and hit the button. The machine lurched for a moment, before moving up at a surprisingly steady rate. There was a collective sigh as they moved up over the cliff, where it lurched to a stop. As they walked forward onto the top of the cliff, Vidina caught sight of one of the strangest villages he had ever seen.

"It's where the Youth League headquarters used to be." Nyeha said, as if that explained everything.

There were tents dotted throughout the area, though some buildings appeared to be built out of the very dirt and stone of the Road, and there was brawling and sparring taking place throughout the village, even among the smallest of children and the oldest of men. There wasn't much color to the village, the occupants seemed to favor browns and reds and some even had paint on their faces, as if to mimic war paint, though Vidina wasn't sure who they planned to do battle with.

"It's a city of rebels," Livius mused.

"What exactly do they have to rebel against?" Alanis asked, looking over at him. Livius raised his eyebrows and shrugged, not sure himself.

"Does it even matter?" Scintilla asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well, no matter who they think they're fighting, we don't want them thinking we're the enemy." Nyeha replied glancing at Vidina, as if asking him for an answer. But before they could figure out a plan, they were spotted.

"Look! Travelers!"

"My god…" Nyeha groaned, as the group moved forward to meet a middle-aged woman dressed in a short red dress and with a line of white paint across her face, under her eyes and across her nose. She was accompanied by other members of the village, their curiosity apparent. Nyeha cleared her throat, stepping forward and silently declaring herself leader of the group. Vidina was glad of that, he was pretty sure no one else in their party cared to be the spokesperson. "Could you point us in the way of Djose?" She asked, standing up straight, as if to make herself look taller.

"What business do you have at the temple?" The woman asked with a slight accent, and though there was a little intimidation behind her voice, they could tell she hadn't declared Nyeha and her party as the enemy yet.

"We're simply passing through there, on our way to Bevelle."

"Bevelle!" The woman cried out, and the people of the village behind her seemed to yell and cry out to meet her voice. "I tell you this, small girl, judgment will rain down on Bevelle and her people. Spira's capital city, the epitome of corruption, the root of our world's evil will soon fall!" She brought her head back down and stared Nyeha hard in the eye, bearing down on her. "You will pass through our city at once, leave us and never return, or you will turn around and return to where you came from without hesitation."

"I'm afraid that that second one isn't an option." Nyeha said, narrowing her eyes, and Vidina suspected that only he knew what she meant.

"Then you will pass through peacefully and leave, and continue on your suicidal journey. But heed my warning, little girl, Bevelle will fall."

* * *

"So they suppose they're fighting the corruption of Bevelle." Livius grumbled almost inaudibly, as they passed through the village.

"That's what I gather." Alanis replied, her eyebrows raised.

"Shut up." Cahake mumbled, "You two are going to get us killed."

"Maybe you should take your own advice, you stuck up—"

"Both of you shut up." Nyeha said, and they did. When they were out of the general vicinity of the village, she stopped, turned around and addressed the group. "Cahake, Livius is right, you are a little hypocritical." She turned to Livius, "Livius, arguing will not help, especially with Alanis." She sighed and looked at Alanis, "Alanis, we already know that you think he's a jerk. You really don't have to constantly point it out to us." As she shook her head and began walking again, the stony temple soon came into view.

_Bevelle will fall. _


	23. Chapter 22: Deception, Truth, and Trials

**A/N: Damn. All of a sudden, twenty-two chapters seems like a lot. I promise you, they will reach Djose in this chapter. It's taken so long for the plot to get going again…**

**Ogro: Ehhhmm, I suppose that it's time to make a confession. I've been doing the majority of this without actually playing either of the games, so all the geographic details are completely lost on me. But yes, almost everything I've put in this story will be revisited or referenced back to at some point.**

**Mandy I Am: Yup. I really can't wait to write the Bevelle chapters...Ooh...It'll be so fun...**

**sarah: Thank you! I take pride in my readers' confusion!**

**Oh, and by the way, I just love how this extra long chapter starts out exactly how I started out my author's note. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

_"Deception, Truth, and Trials"_

"Damn." Nyeha let out, as she looked the temple up and down. The rest of the group was silent, but they seemed to echo her sentiments. The temple seemed to be made of rock, ornately decorated and carved. There was a ring of rocks floating near the top, bolts of electricity flowing between them. There were a few small buildings around the temple, but they seemed so much smaller in comparison. Most of the people wandering around were wearing crème colored uniforms with red trim, looking at their group suspiciously. Nyeha sniffed. "I have some business to attend to—some business in the back of the temple."

"You mean—like—where the Cloister of Trials used to be?" Scintilla asked, excitedly.

Nyeha looked down at the small girl. "Yes, Scintilla, exactly where the Cloister of Trials used to be."

"How the hell do you plan on getting in there? It's been closed off since the disappearance." Alanis pointed out, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head slightly.

_No kidding…_Vidina thought, staring at Nyeha.

"Oh, I have my ways." Nyeha replied, and Vidina groaned inwardly.

"Does anyone have a quill?" Livius asked, "I've always wanted to get into a Cloister of Trials, and I will be taking extensive notes."

"Excuse me?" Nyeha asked, her brow furrowed. "Did you—were you—are you under the impression that you're coming with me?"

"Naturally." Livius replied, digging through Alanis' bag while it was still on her shoulder, and she continued to glare at him. "What business do you have to attend to that we are a burden?"

Nyeha sighed.

* * *

Half an hour later, the group set out into the temple, Nyeha now decked out in a similar crème-colored uniform. She let out one final sigh, before approaching the guard in front of the door. Through the mask, he cocked his head at her curiously, and she let out a slow, shaky breath as she left the group a few feet away and approached him on her own. Silently, Vidina began to pray to whatever higher power would listen that she would be safe. 

She spoke in an authoritative, commanding tone. "I need to take this group of people into the Cloisters, if you please." She nodded her head slightly, but the guard asked,

"Who are you? You're not in our platoon."

"I'm the guard from the island." She said, pressing her lips together in a thin line, as if annoyed that she had to explain such a thing. Vidina, on the other hand, knew enough about her to realize that she was nervous.

"Ohoho, the blonde guard who disappeared on a whim. They've been going through a lot of trouble looking for you." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alanis throw a questioning glance and Livius, who only raised his eyes. No one seemed to know what was going on, even Vidina, who had more information than anyone sans Nyeha herself. "Well, I've never seen you before, so I can't really do a visual comparison like we normally do when people go through the Cloisters, so how about a phrase or two in our favorite heathen language?"

Vidina watched as Nyhea took in a deep breath, and her eyes widened slightly. This wasn't that she couldn't do it—she had spoken her native language only this morning—but could she bring herself to do it in front of everyone?

"Ed'c lmayn dryd E lyh cbayg dra myhkiyka, huf fuimt oui mad sa dyga drec knuib? ((**It's clear that I can speak the language, now would you let me take this group?**))" As the language flowed neatly, clearly and flawlessly off her tongue, Vidina wondered if she had outdone herself, and how in the world she was going to explain this to the rest of the group, "Drao'na kaddehk y meddma esbydeahd. Oui ghuf ruf baycyhdc yna... ((**They're getting a little impatient. You know how peasants are...**))" At the last phrase, Vidina actually winced, which he decided was against his better judgment, but as he looked over at the faces of the others, their expressions all seemed identical, displaying varying degrees of confusion.

"Daaamn." The guard said, raising his eyebrows and smiling, "You're good. I know my basics and I didn't catch all that. How long have you been over there?"

"Just a couple years." Nyeha confessed, "But originally, I was studying to be a translator."

"That would explain it." As he opened the door to the temple to let the group through, he said to Nyeha, "When you get finished in there, let me know if you're doing anything tonight. There's a nice restaurant down by the Moonflow, the best this side of Bevelle." Even though Nyeha pretended not to hear him, Vidina, the last of the group to pass through, suppressed the urge to punch said guard in the face, and chose to throw him a nasty glare instead.

* * *

The inside of the temple was stunning, electricity ran through the stained glass that made up the floor, the walls and the ceiling. There were intricate patterns and the walls told a story that Vidina was unable to figure out. The room itself was large and circular, and surrounding the edges were the bare remnants of what had once been statues. There was a large staircase directly across the room from them and two doors on either side. Vidina assumed that the staircase led to the Cloister of Trials, though his guess was as good as anyone's as to what the other two led to. 

There was a constant bustling of people inside the temple's main room, everyone wearing uniforms similar to Nyeha's. There was a buzz of chatter hovering over the crowded room, and people were hurrying and shoving this way and that carrying staffs and potions and other dangerous-looking materials, so Vidina stayed out of the way as best he could, but he got violently pushed out of the path of someone holding something that was on fire, and he nearly lost sight of Nyeha. There was a yelp from Scintilla as she too was lost in the crowd, and he quickly grabbed her by the sleeve of her shirt before the small girl was swept away by the crowd. He felt a firm hand on his back, shoving him in Nyeha's direction as she began to climb the staircase, and he turned around to see Livius nodding at him with a smirk on his face, obviously in a hurry to get to the Cloisters. Many people looked up as Nyeha slowly pushed open the heavy oaken doors, but they obviously had better things to do than to wonder why a juvenile guard was poking around in the Cloister of Trials, so they returned to their normal business almost immediately.

Once they were in the circular room behind the door, they regrouped. Vidina took a quick headcount—they were there, all six of them. Damn. All of a sudden, he realized how many people they were traveling with. Were there really that many people in their party? He quickly counted once more: Cahake, Scintilla, Alanis, Livius, Nyeha and himself. Wow.

"Whew." Nyeha said, shivering slightly. "I never imagined that the temple would give me the creeps like this."

"No kidding…" Alanis said, looking around.

"This is way different than Kilika." Cahake interjecting, examining the carvings and glyphs on the wall.

Livius was taking notes already, and there were a few splotches of black ink on his hands, though no one seemed to care enough to point it out.

"Nyeha, how did you know Al Bhed? If you didn't, you certainly pretended well…" Scintilla said, not even attempting to hide her blatant curiosity.

"I'll tell you some other time." She replied, addressing the whole group, in a way. "The walls have ears here."

"You're probably right," Vidina said, raising his eyebrows slightly, "And whatever we're doing back here, we should probably get on with it. I really don't like this place, for some reason." There were some nods of agreement.

"What exactly _are _we doing back here, Nyeha?" Cahake asked.

"I'm looking for something." She stated simply.

"What are you looking for?" Alanis asked, as though it were an innocent question to keep a conversation going, even though it was completely unnecessary to keep this conversation rolling.

"I'll know it when I find it." Nyeha replied shortly, definitively, bordering on frustration.

The group began to walk down the hall in near silence, footsteps echoing against the ornately carved stone floors and reverberating off of the equally fancy stone walls. Soon, the halls met in a large square room, with a small platform in the center. It was round and floated slightly, just off the ground, and the area around it seemed to be charged with electricity. Livius' scribbling was furious now, there were ink stains on his face as well as the ones on his hands.

"Will it hold all of us?" Scintilla squeaked.

"I'm afraid not." Nyeha said. "Scintilla, do you mind staying behind with Cahake? I'm sure he's worn out from all this travel by now."

"I wouldn't mind a break, myself." Cahake answered, hobbling over to the wall, possibly to sit down.

"Then Livius, Alanis, Vidina, I'm pretty sure it's up from here." Nyeha said, letting out a slow breath. She was—nervous, Vidina observed. Then, after all this time, it finally struck him what she was looking for.

She was looking for a piece of glass. Why hadn't he thought of that before? They had found those smoky pieces of memories everywhere else that had been significant to Yuna and her guardians, why not at the Cloister of Trials? But for a quick moment, the vision of Nyeha dying flashed before his eyes. Her blood on his hands—could he bear that again? But Nyeha obviously knew that this glass was significant to their journey. The four clamored onto the elevator, and within moments it was moving up slowly, far smoother than the lift they had ridden on only this morning. Vidina sighed slightly. Physically, he had adapted to traveling this much, since he had been journeying with Nyeha, but he still struggled to keep up mentally. As the lift moved up, Nyeha reached back and touched the feathers in her hair, and he noted that it was entirely possible that Nyeha was having trouble keeping up with herself, as well.

* * *

"_Tytto, Tytto! ((__**Daddy, Daddy!**__))"_

_Gippal turned around to see his son, Mekred, running up to him, still in his nightclothes._

"_Fryd yna oui tuehk ib drec aynmo? ((__**What are you doing up this early?**__))" He asked, chuckling slightly. _

"_Lyh E caa ouin beldinac uv dra Faction? ((__**Can I see your pictures of the Faction?**__))" Mekred asked, as he looked up at his father expectantly, his bright green eyes alight. Gippal had no idea why Mekred wanted to see those pictures for the millionth time, he probably had every detail memorized. _

"_Dra beldinac uv dra Machine Faction? ((__**The pictures of the Machine Faction?**__))" Gippal asked, as if requesting clarification, but in reality he was requesting an explanation that his son probably wouldn't give him anyway. Mekred nodded, his naturally spiky blonde hair moving as well, as if it too had a mind of its own. "Ymnekrd, E tuh'd caa fro hud. ((__**Alright, I don't see why not.**__))"_

_He took a few paces over to his desk, and shuffled around his messy top drawer through various letters in both Spiran and Al Bhed, around Rikku's old journal and assorted charts and graphs depicting machine and their parts. At the very bottom, he found about half a dozen pictures paper clipped together, slightly worn with age. As he handed the pictures to his son, who was still eagerly waiting, he took a moment to look them over himself. _

_The first picture was of the temple itself, from the outside. Gippal had taken that one himself, he had climbed up on top of a small building nearby to get a good view, a particular small building that had turned out to be someone's house, someone who was very upset upon the discovery that there were muddy footprints on her exterior walls and roof. He also remembered scrubbing said muddy footprints off the wall and roof as penance, and winced at the memory._

_The next picture was also of the outside of the temple, but from near the door, looking straight up. As he examined the walls and the early evening sky, he recalled that he had taken that picture to show to some of his machina designers, to try to convince them to move into the temple before he had formed the Machine Faction. They had marveled at his moment of photographic genius, and this had been one of the pictures that had sealed the deal, as far as Djose Temple went. _

_The third picture had been taken in one of the side rooms (he couldn't tell which one, the picture didn't cover a lot of the room). It was of a small, spindly device sitting on a wooden table, using for measuring the amount of magical energy contained in an object. It was something he had built alongside one of the greatest magical professors in all of Spira, and _The Bevelle Journal _had written an article in their paper about it. They had spent nearly half an hour taking pictures of the thing, and had finally decided on one. Since Gippal had been the co-inventor of the device, they let him keep the original. _

_The next picture had been taken of the staircase. The staircase was not the focal point of the picture, however, the thirty original members of the Machine Faction had posed for a picture upon moving into their new headquarters, all with fairly dumb smiles on their faces. Of the thirty members, four were not Al Bhed, though they didn't appear out of place, except possibly that their hair was considerably darker than the Al Bhed's universal wheat-blonde. Gippal counted them again. Exactly thirty. He sighed to himself as his son put the picture behind the others. At the last members count before they had been imprisoned, there had been 147 members of the Machine Faction, almost fifty of which were Spiran. _

_The fifth and final picture had been taken of himself and Rikku, shortly before they were married, sitting in the Cloister of Trials. He had harbored a strange love for that place; the mystery and intrigue of the tale of the summoners had, on more than one occasion, drawn him to its nooks and crannies without reason. So the couple had been up late one night, discussing their dreams and aspirations that they talked well into the early morning and eventually drifted to sleep. The guard platoons, on arriving to work that day, discovered the couple in the Cloisters and snapped a picture for good measure. Rikku had thought the picture was terribly cute, and pestered Gippal to pay the head chief's ransom demands to get ahold of it. In spite of himself, he smiled at the memory. _

"_Nyeha ec eh drana huf. ((__**Nyeha is in there now.**__))" Mekred said, pointing to the wall beyond his parent's picture. _

"_Fryd? ((__**What?**__))" Gippal asked, unsure of how his son could know of his sister's whereabouts._

"_Dra Cloisters. E ryt yhudran tnays ypuid ran mycd hekrd. ((__**The Cloisters. I had another dream about her last night.**__))" He stated, plain as day. Gippal respected how his son didn't think of himself as a freak because of his prophetic dreams or his other assorted gifts. He just accepted reality as it came to him, and that was something that people in general needed to do more often. "O'ghuf, frah fa lyh mayja dra ecmyht, E drehg E fyhd du meja eh [Djose. Ed muugc luum. ((__**Y'know, when we can leave the island, I think I want to live in Djose. It looks cool.**__))" He said, as if his confession fell in perfectly with the rest of the conversation. Gippal sighed and got down on one knee, resting his right arm on his right knee to maintain his balance._

"_Mekred, oui ghuf dryd fa syo hud ajan pa ypma du mayja drec ecmyht, nekrd?((__**Mekred, you know that we may not ever be able to leave this island, right?**__))" Gippal__said slowly, carefully. _

"_Hu, Sudran cyoc dryd Nyeha ec uid drana du vnaa ic. Cu fa lyh meja uh dra syehmyht cusatyo. ((__**No, Mother says that Nyeha is out there to free us. So we can live on the mainland someday.**__))" He replied, peering at the picture once more. _

_Gippal sighed and looked down for a moment, lost in thought. "Oui naymmo tu pameaja dryd cra lyh tu ed, tuh'd oui?((__**You really do believe that she can do it, don't you?**__))" He said quietly, looking up after a while._

_Mekred looked up, smiling, "Uv luinca E tu. ((__**Of course I do.**__))" _

* * *

Not too long after they reached the antechamber, they found the glass. 

"Vidina." Nyeha whispered, and Vidina rushed to meet her over by a closed door. It was not the way they had come through, so Vidina deducted that it was the door to the place where the Fayth had once resided, awaiting the summoner that chose to call on its power. Alanis and Livius either didn't hear or chose not to take notice as they poked around the room. Vidina sighed.

_Yuna cocked her gun, her eyes welling with tears. She had to tell herself she could do it—no matter how painful this was, it could still cost her life and the lives of her friends if she faltered now. She aimed it at Ixion, in the area between his neck and his front legs. His heart. She closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. _

_She let out breath as she dodged a counterattack. She watched as Rikku took the opportunity and took a swing at it with her sword. Rikku and Paine weren't having as much trouble fighting Ixion as she was, but she suspected that that was because Ixion had—as all aeons had—been a part of her once. To aim her gun and shoot this aeon, it almost felt as though she took a stab to the heart as well. _

There was a flash before their eyes, and for an instant, they saw Yuna falling deep into the depths of a hole.

There was another flash, and as they returned to reality, Vidina caught a glimpse of Nyeha falling. Out of instinct, he reached for her and caught hold of her arm, and took another instant to process what was going on. They seemed to be beyond the door now, where only one of Nyeha's feet rested on the edge of a large hole, where curiously shiny fireflies seemed to be floating from to fill the air.

"Vidina, you're going to have to trust me." She said softly, seriously, looking him dead in the eye. His heart was racing in his chest as he looked back into her green eyes, aware of everything all of a sudden. Was she crazy?

"What?"

"You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Promise me."

"I trust you, Nyeha. I always will."

"Always?"

"Always. I promise."

"Then let go."


	24. Chapter 23: Gravity

**A/N: Wow. Once again, I am amazed by the fact that I have twenty three chapters of this story written. Please excuse me, I'm only a freshman in Geometry. Big numbers like twenty three scare me sometimes. **

**To be honest, when I first started writing the first draft of this story, it was really, really different. But that was, like, two years ago, and I definitely like this better. Sure, it'll be a little more complicated to write, especially when the part reaches Bevelle, but I love the character development that everyone has received thus far. **

**Ah, Djose. This is where things begin to unravel. **

**Ogro:**** Hopefully Nyeha's experience in the Farplane will explain some things, but after twenty-two chapters you should know that I'm not terribly good at explaining things, nor do I like it. She may gain some vital information, but it won't really help the party that's stuck aboveground without her. The point being that they've lost their primary leadership, and someone has to step up to the plate.**

**sarah:**** Well, the details are a little complex, but Vidina had a vision in which he was in the Farplane, he wasn't actually there at any point in time. But yes, Nyeha sees this as the most logical course of action. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

"_Gravity"_

Vidina realized, after a moment, that he must've let go, because in an instant, his hand was floating there in space, threatening to throw him off balance and into the hole as well. Slowly, his mind began to connect the dots. "Nyeha!" He called in after her, but it echoed endlessly. Alanis and Livius rushed over to see what was the matter, and she gasped as she realized what had happened. The three continued to gape at the empty hole, and after a moment, Livius swallowed.

"What happened?" Alanis asked softly, and when Vidina looked over, her face was bleached of color, immediately paled.

"I—I don't know." Vidina confessed. After a moment of thought he realized that it wasn't exactly a lie. If there was one annoying quality about Nyeha, he decided, it was that she always knew what was going on, even when everyone else didn't, and she mistrusted everyone else enough that she wouldn't tell anyone else.

"You know where that hole leads, right?" Livius said slowly, his brow furrowed and his eyes cloudy. "It is said, in legend, that there was once a place where the spirits of the departed would be laid to rest, if 'sent' by the summoners of old. It's also said that while on the search for Vegnagun, Lady Yuna herself fell into a hole in the Trials at Djose, and found herself in that same, sacred, legendary place." He looked over at Alanis, who bit her lip as she whispered,

"The Farplane."

* * *

_Far away, a figure slammed his fist on the table. This was frustrating. Terribly, terribly frustrating. He sighed, unclenching his fist and laying his head to rest in the very same hand. He sighed once more. This should have been dealt with before she got confident, before she got creative, before she got strong and supported and got companions. But no, being the person he was, he had to wait, and mess with the girl and play with her a bit. The prophecy had said that his own nature would be his undoing, but he couldn't resist the urge to manipulate the daring little Al Bhed girl. Seriously, who was supposed to just let go of the urge and just kill her, anyway?_

_But no, he wanted to take his time, follow her quest, her crash on Besaid. He expected that to be the end of his problem, his imminent destruction, but the stupid native boy wandered onto the ship and moments later, it was in flight. Go figure. And from that point on, he expected a panic attack any given moment, in which the girl would reveal her true identity and be locked up for good. At least, until she got a trial, was found guilty and was consequently thrown in the Via Purifico. Then that would be the end of that, and he would go on enjoying his supreme rule over Spira. _

_But no, a certain someone had to pull a move he hadn't intended, and before it was too late, she had disappeared into the Farplane. He was pretty much convinced that he had taken care of the Farplane, but when dealing with something as mysterious as death, you could never be sure, especially with the girl and the native collecting pieces of it…Though she couldn't help him out, now that she had thrown herself in the Farplane. And how in the world did she expect to get out, anyway? He chuckled to himself, feeling better now that he had soothed himself with the idea that the Al Bhed girl had willingly thrown herself into her own demise._

* * *

Nyeha breathed out. As her lungs filled with air once more, her eyelids fluttered. After a moment, her lips parted slightly, and her eyes opened slowly, tentatively. She felt as though she were falling, though without any fear of hitting the ground. It was an odd sensation, one that her mind decided that she had never felt before.

Her thoughts came slowly as she thought through why she was here, falling without ever stopping. But as her eyes stared blankly up at the white light, she began to recall what she was doing here.

The vision had shown her, the young woman she had come to know as Lady Yuna, falling into the Farplane through that very hole in the Cloister of Trials. And Nyeha, well, she had had this odd feeling, a push of fate, one might say, that whispered in her ear that she needed to go to the Farplane. Her thoughts began to come quicker as she realized with a twinge of mirthless humor that no one could arrest her and hang her in the Farplane. As she felt the pull of gravity, she adjusted and hovered with her feet below her, as she chuckled slightly to herself at her slightly morbid realization. Not even an instant after she laughed, gravity pulled harder, tugging at the figure floating in the air, and she began to fall once more, only this time she knew she would hit the ground eventually.

* * *

"There must be a way to get her back." Vidina said, as if demanding an answer from Livius, the scholar, the historian, supposedly the brains of the bunch. He was biting his lip to keep from showing these two the fear and pain and lack of understanding that he was feeling right now. And staring at Livius' slightly blank expression, he couldn't help but feel that the historian didn't quite comprehend the gravity of the situation.

Alanis, on the other hand, was already crying silent tears. Nyeha was gone, and she was scared. It was a perfectly simple, honest reaction. Vidina couldn't help but feel as though his situation was a bit more complex than hers.

"The original entrance to the Farplane was in Guadosalam." Livius said, careful not to suggest that he knew more than he actually did, or to accidentally promise Nyeha's safety and well-being.

"So what are we doing standing around here? Let's go." Vidina said, aggressiveness in his voice like the blade on the edge of a knife. Now that Nyeha was gone, he was confused, but now he only had one thought on his mind: he had to get to Guadosalam and save Nyeha.

"What happened? Where's Nyeha? Who screamed?"

Scintilla was questioning them as soon as she saw their feet being lowered from the floor above her, so the group had to think through her questions a few times before they answered.

"Nyeha fell." Vidina said shortly.

"She fell into a hole, and we think it leads to the Farplane." Livius elaborated.

Scintilla was shocked speechless, but Cahake asked, "How the hell did that happen?"

"We don't know," Vidina admitted once more, once again reminding himself that this was not a lie. He had no idea how they had even managed to get past the door into the room, let alone what in the world Nyeha hoped to accomplish by throwing herself into such a hole. There was a long, awkward silence in which no one really knew what to say, until the tearful Alanis whispered,

"No one screamed."

"Are you sure?" Scintilla asked, her cheeks flushed slightly pink.

"It sounded like a woman, older than Nyeha." Cahake said. "Are you sure there wasn't anyone else up there?"

"Yeah, we're sure." Livius said, his brow furrowed as his eyes passed over the others in the group. Now that Nyeha was gone, Vidina would bet his life on the fact that suspicions were rising about the rest of the group. Nyeha had more or less been the mother figure of their party, holding everyone else together. And without her, no one seemed to trust anyone else.

The group proceeded down the hall, with Vidina leading the way, Scintilla walking by the crippled Cahake, and Alanis and Livius were already in an argument about Yevon-knows-what.

It was almost like before she left.

Almost.

* * *

Before any of her other senses returned, Nyeha could smell the flowers.

Coming from an Al Bhed girl, it wasn't much to say that these flowers smelled good. After all, she had spent fifteen years of her life in a desert prison, and anyone with half a brain knew that not many flowers grew in the desert, and the ones that did shot things at you. Go figure. But these flowers smelled better than anything she had ever smelled before, it stimulated so many things in her mind that she couldn't identify or name, but she didn't care, because these flowers smelled good. Almost—otherworldly.

And as she opened her eyes and stood up slowly, her joints aching slightly, she became aware that she was in her Al Bhed attire, not torn and free of bloodstains. She tugged at the fabric in question, as if not quite believing that it was intact. After a moment, her hand moved from her shirt to her hair, where she realized that her hair had been styled the same way that was trendy among the Al Bhed on the island, she ran her fingers along the many braids in the bun on the back of her head, and it wasn't long before she found the many green feathers that were her personal touch. She smiled slightly as her hand went from her hair to the black goggles around her neck, useful for traveling in sandstorms. As she sighed, happy reminiscing in memories of home, a familiar voice broke her thoughts.

"Once you're here, you can't hide your identity." Nyeha looked up to see the very figure of Lady Yuna before her. She couldn't help but gape, slightly, she had only seen the High Summoner in vision and broken bits of memories, and after all this time, she came face to face with her. Lady Yuna laughed, a laugh strikingly similar to the one Nyeha remembered from the vision of Luca, when the questing summoner had laughed with Tidus. "Then again, if you're here, there's no real need to, anyway." She sighed, "My, how much you look like her."

"Lady Yuna!" Nyeha said, as though she still couldn't believe it.

"Yes," She said, stepping closer, slightly, "I am the Lady Yuna, High Summoner, however you wish to call me. But just Yuna is fine." She sighed. "I sort of wished I wouldn't meet you for a very, very long time, but you look perfectly well. Is everything going well?"

"Yeah," Nyeha began, carefully constructing the sentences in her mind. "You see, I've been finding this glass all over Spira, and it's been giving me scars," She pulled her gloves off to reveal the winding scars on her fingers, but she quickly put it back on. "—and it's been giving me visions—visions of your pilgrimage and your search for Vegnagun. And when I got to Djose, I found this piece of glass outside the door to the Chamber of the Fayth, and when I touched it I saw you fall. For some reason, I knew that to find the answers in Bevelle, I needed to come here first." She finished, drawing in breath as she looked at Yuna expectantly.

"You say—you say 'I' quite a bit." Yuna said, hesitating in her wording slightly, "But I know you have companions."

"How do you know?" Nyeha said, pausing for a moment before asking, "Can you see what's going on in Spira?"

Lady Yuna shook her head. "That was a guess," She began, "Based on your mother's demeanor. She loved having friends and companions, even when she had to keep secrets from them." Her bi-colored eyes looked slightly sad, but it passed, "And she seemed to feed off the energy of everyone else around her. She was always passionate about what she was doing, whether she like it or not. I suppose you are keeping your heritage secret from your companions?"

"What else am I to do?" Nyeha asked, smiling sadly, "Though Vidina knew from the get-go, and he didn't abandon me."

"Vidina?" Yuna raised her eyebrows, appearing pleasantly startled.

"Yes." Nyeha looked at her oddly.

Lady Yuna smiled in a contented, ironic sort of way. "It's amazing that two paths crossed like yours. Sometimes—fate is a wonderful thing. It can bring you the most pleasant of surprises." She laughed. "I suppose I would know. Fate helped me save the world on more than one occasion, and fate brought me the bravest man I have ever known." She chuckled again. "Sometimes I wonder if I really had anything to do with it at all." She admitted. "But you—you and Vidina—Bevelle doesn't stand a chance with the two of you. So he trusted you from the very beginning, despite your heritage?"

Nyeha nodded. "Well, I wouldn't say he trusted me, but he certainly gave me the chance for me to prove myself, even when I failed him."

Lady Yuna sighed. "And I suppose that in a way, he differs from his father. Sure, he's probably just as stubborn and set in his ways, but he's got a bit of Lulu in him too. You should meet her someday. She's one of the most amazing and unique women I've ever met." She smiled once more. "She was like an older sister to me, after I was orphaned." She paused. "But enough about me." She nodded slightly to Nyeha. "I hear you're starting a revolution."


	25. Chapter 24: Two Plus Two

**A/N: I've been on a roll lately, as far as writing goes. I put out a oneshot with over 5,000 words in it (a personal best for me), and then I updated Yours Truly like, three times before I actually sat down to pen another chapter of this. I felt a little guilty, to be honest. Because although I didn't exactly leave a cliffhanger this time, I didn't actually get to the explaining part, sooo…**

**Ogro:**** Yuna will do plenty of explaining to Nyeha, but it won't do poor Vidina a lick of good until he figures out how to get her back…muahahaha…**

**sarah:**** It's alright, this story is designed to be confusing in and of itself. That's what makes it a mystery. ;)**

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** Nice to see you back here again! I'm really glad you decided to catch up. Maybe now someone will understand the comments I make about both of the stories in the other's author's note…Aww, thanks! I really strive to make my characters believable. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

"_Two Plus Two"_

"I suppose you could say that." Nyeha said, smirking slightly. "I think 'revolution' is a bit over-dramatic, but—"

"Oh, no." Yuna said happily. "It's written in the stars—you are the one that destined to bring peace to Spira." She smiled, gesturing to Nyeha. "Come, walk with me. Time passes differently in the Farplane, so there won't be much time to explain before your friends will expect you in Guadosalam. And anyway, there's a story I need to tell you about a certain prophecy."

* * *

On their way out of the temple, Vidina was stopped.

"You were with that other guard, weren't you? The island one?" And with a twinge of annoyance, he realized that he was face to face with the guard that had stopped them outside the temple.

"Yes."

"Where is she now? She appears to have wandered off." After a moment of silence from Vidina, Livius, ever quick on his feet to lie through his teeth, replied,

"She said she had more business to attend to in the trials, but we're tourists and we need to make it to the Moonflow before sunset, so she let us out."

The guard seemed satisfied with his answer.

"_Tourists?_" Alanis asked, "You said we were _tourists?_" She asked Livius as the group proceeded in the direction of the temple door.

"Because I'm sorry I cut you off while you were saying something far more brilliant that would save our asses." He replied, a look of annoyance crossing his own face.

"What happens if he goes up there and realizes that Nyeha's not there, after all?" Cahake asked Livius, as they quickened their pace.

As Livius opened the front temple door to let the others through, he replied, "Well, hopefully we'll be far off by then."

"How do you plan to get to the Moonflow by sunset, anyway? I bet it's at least day's walk…" Scintilla asked, trailing off in thought. Vidina as well couldn't help but wonder what Livius had up his sleeve.

As the group walked out, Livius pushed his glasses up his nose, smirked and replied cleverly, "Why, by chocobo, of course."

"Are you kidding?" Vidina asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Do I look kidding?" He asked, and Vidina had to admit that in fact, he did not. Behind him, Alanis groaned.

"Well, excuse me if I'm not entirely crazy about the whole idea of riding a giant yellow bird all the way to the Moonflow…"

Vidina decided that Scintilla's reaction (in a cruel but hilarious sort of way), made the whole chocobo ordeal worth it. After all, the girl was only thirteen, so the bird was about twice as big as she was to begin with. To add to that, poor Scintilla was born and raised in Luca and had never even seen a chocobo before, let alone rode one. Upon purchasing and greeting said chocobo, she was immediately terrified. The chocobo stablehand, slightly amused as well, offered her some free Gyshal Greens to give to it as a peace offering, but then it kweh!'d at her and she nearly burst into tears. The chocobo, even considered pretty bright among its kind, seemed genuinely confused by the whole situation, but Vidina sympathized with it. After all, he decided, he would be pretty confused too.

Once Scintilla was situated (more or less, she was still trembling considerably), the others mounted their chocobos with a fair amount of ease. Cahake had to be helped up on his chocobo, but still got himself settled in a fair amount of time. His leg appeared to be healing, and Vidina commented that once they got to the Moonflow, he might try walking on it.

This was Vidina's first experience with a chocobo, as well, and he tried to tell himself that there was logic in riding on top of a giant yellow bird, as he patted the top of its feathered head and it kweh!'d happily. As he journeyed, he was beginning to discover quite a few things that didn't make a lot of sense, and he had to admit that chocobos were one of them. As the stable hand waved them off, he assured them that they would make it to the Moonflow before sunset. Vidina tried to imagine riding on a chocobo for the next five or so hours, but then he decided that he might actually get used to it, as far fetched as it seemed.

After only half an hour of riding in the usual indistinct chatter, Livius guided his chocobo over beside Vidina's and asked him,

"Why are you traveling to Bevelle?"

"I'm just traveling with Nyeha." He said nonchalantly. "We're sightseeing. At least, that's what we were planning on." He added, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Do you have any sort of connection to Bevelle? Your name sounds familiar."

It dawned on him. "My mother is an Advisor."

Livius whistled, his eyes widening slightly, and as Alanis swung her head around to look, the others in the group glanced in their direction, but only for a moment. "Wow, she's high up there. Does she live in Bevelle? Almost all the advisors do."

"No," Vidina answered, after taking a quick moment to ponder whether or not he should answer honestly. "Except for the pilgrimage, she's spent her whole life on Besaid, and she's stubborn enough that—"

"Wait." Livius said, cutting him off, "_Besaid_? _Pilgrimage_? You're Lulu's son?"

After another moment of quick thought, Vidina went ahead and decided that that was something to be proud of. "Yeah, I am."

"Damn! That's explains a lot…" Livius replied, suddenly thinking, "That's amazing! Your name's in history books!"

Now it was Vidina's turn to be surprised. "What?"

"You're Vidina! You're the son of two of the High Summoner's guardians! How can you expect not to be known by one of Spira's scholars?"

"How much do you know about me?" Vidina asked, curious now.

"Not much, besides the fact that you were born to your parents about the time that Yuna defeated Vegnagun. But the fact that you're Lulu and Wakka's son—damn—what are the chances of that?" Livius asked. "The guardians are famous, icons in Spira's history!"

"What does history say about Rikku?" Vidina asked, curious. "She was a guardian, wasn't she?" He decided to play dumb, so as not to let on that he knew more than he was supposed to.

Livius hesitated for a moment. "Not much, the historians are afraid of putting in anything that might cause speculation one way or another. Anyone sent to the island to collect information is turned away, either by the Yevonite guards or Rikku herself. She knows fluent Spiran but more often than not refuses to speak it, as if by that simple defiance she might wear down the Yevonites." He scoffed slightly, narrowing his eyes, and Vidina had to consciously retrain himself from choking the historian right then and there. He spoke of Rikku as if she were stupid, as if she had not ever been unjustly treated. For the first time since Nyeha had disappeared, he was glad that she wasn't there to hear this. If she attacked Livius because of her loyalty to her family and her exceptionally short temper, that would blow her cover completely, and that would be the end to the epic pair.

* * *

_Knock!_

_Wakka groaned._

_Knock knock!_

_He stood up from their kitchen table, despite Lulu's sudden face of distaste, and left his dinner to open the door. "You probably shouldn't…" She said, narrowing her fiery eyes in annoyance, but the end of her sentence was lost._

_Knock knock knoc--!_

_As Wakka opened the door, he caught the Counselor's hand in midair, a young man with exceptionally pale skin and white wispy hair. He sniffed and his hand flew quickly behind his back to meet the other as he nodded his head and greeting. "May I speak to Lulu, former guardian of the late High Summoner's pilgrimage and member of the High Ad—"_

"_I know who Lulu is, okay?" He said slowly, and gestured for his wife to meet him at the doorway. She signed, put down her fork and knife with exceptional discontent. She stood up in one graceful motion and made her way over to the door, piercing the Counselor's practiced mask of determination with her own intimidating glare. He coughed._

"_Are you here to inform me of another slip up in your security system?" Lulu asked, "Because if you are—"_

"_I'm not here to report a slip up in our security system," The Counselor began, being unusually daring, as far as Bevelle underlings go. "But rather of yours, Lulu." _

_Lulu first took note of the fact that whoever this guy was, he had the guts to call her by the first name as opposed to 'Advisor' or 'Madame' or something like that. She continued glare at him on the outside for that one, but silently commended him on the inside. Then she actually processed what he said. "Of my security, Counselor?"_

"_What I mean to say is, Lulu, that your son was reported missing by one of the villagers a few days past." _

_Something flashed behind her eyes, but in an instant, it was gone. She silently berated herself for forgetting that her son's absence may be an issue to the rest of the island, if it was not to her. Not everyone had the experiences or the wisdom that Lulu did._

"_Have you ever had children, Counselor?" She asked, raising her eyebrows._

"_Uh, no, I can't say I have."_

_Lulu cleared her throat. "Well, there comes a time in every teenagers life when one must break free of their parents, do you agree?"_

"_Whole-heartedly."_

"_My son wanted to explore the rest of Spira, to experience life beyond this island, you might say. If anyone on this island has an issue with the way I raise my child, then I would appreciate it if they would bring it up with me personally in the future. Thank you for your time, and good night." True to her nature, she proceeded to shut the door, and returned to the dinner table, completely unmoved by the discovery of her slip up. As Wakka settled himself down, his face seemed to be filled with questions, so Lulu replied, "You know, Wakka, I never once lied."_

_He thought for a moment. "I suppose you're right, Lu."_

"_Of course I am. Now don't worry about Vidina. He'll be just fine."_

* * *

The sunset on the Moonflow was breathtaking, even for Vidina, who had experienced many a sunset on the ocean. The water barely moved, so the sunset seemed to be reproduced in a glassy fashion, save for the water lilies that floated contentedly along. It was exceptionally beautiful, and people from around the area gathered around the banks to watch as the sun dipped below the horizon.

He looked around at his comrades to see the reddish-orange light reflected in all their eyes, and he missed Nyeha terribly. Carrying her secrets alone, it put a heavy weight on him that he could barely handle. He did a double take as he realized that Livius had his arm around Alanis' shoulders, but dismissed it immediately, he didn't care nor had the time to ponder their obviously complicated relationship. No matter what he did, he missed Nyeha terribly. They all did, it seemed. He wanted to shout that there was no way that they understood her as well as he did, or that she meant even half as much to them as she meant to him, but he berated himself for that urge and reminded himself that they were all comrades, they were all companions, and perhaps, after all, they were friends.

* * *

"Do you understand what I've told you, so far?" Yuna asked Nyeha, who had been quiet for quite some time.

"I suppose so. But it seems a little—incomplete." She concluded, examining the scars on her hand. The scars, the glass—when Yuna explained her task at hand, it all began to make sense. Now she knew that her instincts were right, the collection of the glass was vital to the plan to liberate her people.

"It should—no one has heard the full prophecy. At least, no one on our side. The leader, the height of power in Bevelle, that figure has heard the whole prophecy. That's what allows him to pull the strings like this, he knows by way of Yevon's fallen prophets what will eventually befall Spira. He's determined to make sure that he will still have the power when all of this is over, but it's your job to stop that from happening and save your people."

Nyeha picked a flower and stuck it behind her ear as she asked casually, "Do you have any idea who this source of power is, up there in Bevelle? It might help to know."

Yuna laughed. "I believe I have good idea, but I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."


	26. Chapter 25: Interruption

**A/N: Yeah, starting another chapter. I love being on break. **

**Ogro:**** Yeah, I'm not too great at explaining stuff. Hopefully things will really get moving in this chapter, in my little plan, twenty five is the complete turning point and everything really picks up, but I'm not exactly sure of everything beyond this chapter. I'm glad Livius got a little bit of development in the last chapter, because he'll be a terribly important character in some of the upcoming chapters. Don't worry, every character will get their chance to develop and shine. And I really can't tell you anything about the ruler in Bevelle…. Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving to you too! **

**Zaz9-zaa0: Haha, the identity of the ruler in Bevelle..well, I'm not too terribly sure how everyone will react to that. I'm not sure if it'll be one of those "Oh, duh!" moments or a "Wow, what in the world was she thinking?" kind of thing, so, uh...yeah.**

**Mandy I Am: Yeah, things at Bevelle are going to be pretty crazy...**

**On another note…I'm considering a penname change. I've had this one for a loong time, and it's sorta boring and weird. So if you suddenly start getting Alerts from someone by the name of November Midnights, that'll be me. **

**On yet another note, the nineteenth was my one year anniversary for Pray for Rain. Wow, it's hard to believe that I've been working on this for a year now…but hard to believe in a good way. I must say (as cheesy as it is) that I probably would have discontinued this a while ago had I not had great support from some great, loyal reviewers. Much love!**

**  
****Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

_"Interruption"_

Alanis and Livius were fighting by the time they checked into the hotel. Heaven forbid they get along with each other for a given moment. And though Vidina, Scintilla and Cahake sat at the table and watched them argue, the foremost was pretty sure that none of them had any idea what was going on.

"You have no right to go through my private belongings!"

"I've been sticking my stuff in your bag, I was only looking for a book! I didn't mean to come across your—"

"If you were anything more than an irresponsible jackass, you wouldn't have to put your stuff in my bag anyway!"

Scintilla glanced over at the other two sitting at the table and muttered, "Next time they're going to fight, we'll sell tickets. We'll make a fortune." There were scoffs and nods of agreement from both.

"If you would have let me ride on your hover—"

"So you plan to blame your utter irresponsibility on me?"

Vidina looked back in the direction of the two fighting. Alanis, face flushed and finger pointed accursedly at her companion, was backed up against the bookcase. Livius' glasses were falling down his nose slightly, and there were pink splotches on his pale face. No one could deny that they were genuinely pissed off at each other. You could tell that by fighting in the corner of the lobby, they hoped that they wouldn't draw unnecessary attention to themselves, but even the hotel manager had looked up from the cash register to watch the fireworks. The figurative ones, anyway, because Vidina had seen a box of matches in Scintilla's fingers a few hours ago. He sighed. Sometimes that girl amazed him. Slowly, he had realized how valuable she would become to the party in the time that Nyeha was absent, because growing up in Luca had turned the thirteen-year-old into quite the pickpocket, and they had had to relieve some of the Moonflow's other tourist of their spare gil to be able to purchase enough hotel rooms.

"Tomorrow I'm going to try and walk on my leg. I think it should be healed, by—" Cahake was cut off by more shouting from the corner.

"How dare you!" Alanis screeched, the last syllable in such a high-pitched voice that Vidina was reminded of Scintilla's scream at being startled by the elevator at the Road. "How dare you make such an accusation!" She attempted to storm past him, but she was trapped; he had backed her up against the bookcase in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Not so much an accusation as an assumption." Livius said, his face now covered with darker, redder splotches. "And I hardly see that as some kind of emotional crime."

"Hardly?!" She screeched, and Vidina, even as polite as he had been raised, couldn't help but reflexively cover his ears. "If you had half the emotional perception as anyone human, perhaps you wouldn't make such assumptions." As she continued to screech, she jabbed him in the chest with her right index finger, pushing him back farther and farther from her until she stormed off down the hallway.

Livius turned to Cahake, Scintilla and Vidina, obviously getting ready to say something, but Cahake cut him off.

"Look, dude, you're the one who pissed her off. Don't be talking to _us_ about it. We had nothing to do with it."

Livius drew in breath, obviously ready to retort, but he let it out slowly, and after a moment of glancing around at his comrades, he sighed and headed down the hallway.

"Well said." Vidina complimented, but Cahake replied,

"I didn't mean that he should go talk to her. I just didn't want him bitching to us about it."

"All is well that ends well." Scintilla chirped, as she sighed and rested her chin in her hands.

* * *

"I was wondering where you wandered off to, Yuna." 

Yuna and Nyeha turned to see Tidus walking towards them, his hands behind his head and a smile on his face. Yuna laughed.

"Not a lot of places to wander off to, Tidus. But look! Nyeha's here! Isn't she beautiful?"

Nyeha's face flushed at the compliment, and Tidus replied, "She looks so much like Rikku! It's uncanny!" But as he stepped forward, he added, "Though I do see a little bit of Gippal in her too. She's got that glint in her eye, like she's got something up her sleeve."

"Aren't you even going to ask her how she managed to get in here?"

"I suppose so." He turned, and asked Nyeha, "How did you manage to get in here?"

Not sure exactly what she was supposed to say, she answered, "I fell."

Tidus laughed. "In Djose, I suppose?" She nodded, sensing the irony that all of them felt. In the light-hearted moment, Nyeha took the time to ask the question that had been on her mind for quite a while now.

"Will I—will I be able to get out of here?" The question had been weighing on her mind, despite Yuna's advice on what to do when she got out of here, the implication that she would one day save the world—well, she had to admit that Yuna more than _implied_ it…

"Of course you will." Yuna replied, slightly questioningly as Tidus put his arm around her. "Why did you think—?"

"If I can get out of here, then why can't you?" She asked, her eyes welling up slightly. It was sad, it was terribly sad to know that she could come so close, so close to Yuna and Tidus that she could even touch them, only to have to leave them in their prison and continue on with her quest.

Yuna's head hung slightly, her face overcome with bitterness, a sadness that she couldn't quite face. But after a moment she looked up and locked eyes with Nyeha, but the sadness was still there. "This—this place…this is _our_ prison. You, you are only here by accident. This place is meant to keep us imprisoned, but the boundaries care not for you. You can leave, but we cannot, because this is _our_ prison, not yours."

* * *

Lying awake in bed, Vidina felt as though something were weighing on him physically, as though he had something heavy on his chest that made it hard to breath. When he slowed down and spent time alone like this, and really allowed himself to think about what was going on, he missed Nyeha terribly. He hadn't even known her for very long at all, but she was, without a doubt, his best friend. When he first saw her on the airship when it crashlanded on Besaid, he never would have guessed that he would make it out alive, let alone become best friends with his kidnapper. He dearly hoped that they either succeeded on their mission or died, because he was terribly afraid he couldn't live without her. 

Which was probably what was bothering him. He knew that sometime tomorrow, once he fell asleep and awoke again, he would find out if he was to see her ever again. If they couldn't reach her in Guadosalam through the former entrance to the Farplane, there simply weren't any options left. There would be nothing to do, and that scared him. That scared him a lot. He was probably still lying awake because he couldn't stand the thought that tomorrow, he would know for sure whether Nyeha was alive or not. It tortured him inside to picture her face and know that she might not be able to achieve her dream of liberating her people. The Al Bhed princess, trapped in the Farplane because of a stroke of fate and a little bit of trust.

And that made him wonder: did Nyeha actually have a plan? She was a little spontaneous, he had to admit (well, quite a bit more than a little), but could he really trust his gut feeling that she actually knew what she was doing? He thought of the scars on her hand. After all, she was obviously being guided by some kind of feeling, a force that neither of them understood. Could it be possible that this had happened for a reason, after all?

Vidina awoke the next morning with a new resolve. As he had fallen asleep, he had decided there was absolutely nothing he could do about it now, and worrying would help absolutely nothing. All he could really do was face his future head-on, and that's what he planned to do.

Livius and Alanis seemed to give each other a wide berth, but once again, Vidina decided not to ask or to even begin to wonder what in the world was going on between them. It was probably best, he concluded, just to leave the whole situation alone.

And thus, the group had their first run-in with a Hypello when they attempted to cross the Moonflow.

"How much will it cost to cross?" Vidina had been elected as the new leader of the group, selected to ask the strange creature. It blinked at him for a moment, before answering.

"For all of yoo, it will cost aboot fifty gil."

"_Apeice?"_ Vidina asked. There was no way they could come up with that kind of money. They would have to do some serious pickpocketing if they ever wanted to cross. Scintilla bounded up the platform, and Vidina noticed that she put something in her pocket as she asked,

"Where is the shoopuf?"

"The _what?_" Vidina asked.

"You've never heard of a shoopuf?" Scintilla asked, slightly startled by her comrade's ignorance. "It's a giant blue…thing that took people across the Moonflow. Where is it?" She asked, glancing over at the small ferry boat.

"Years ago, the shoopufs, they catch bad sickness and die. Why yoo not know this?"

"I'm a city girl, I was born and raised in Luca." Scintilla replied, and Vidina began to notice that _her_ sheltered life was causing her a lot of problems as well. She was one to comment about what he had or had not heard of.

"Wow, what doo they teach yoo in schoool these days?" the Hypello asked, but then some customers approached him, and apparently people that had gil were more interesting than people that were just asking about the shoopufs, so they were ignored and they headed back to the rest of the group.

"We have to come up with 250 gil if we wanna cross the Moonflow." Vidina stated, and immediately, everyone headed to their pockets and Alanis to her bag. In the end, it was totaled that they had, altogether, 176 gil, which was better than they thought.

They couldn't help but marvel at Scintilla's pickpocketing skills, though she had it to her advantage that she was a small, slight thirteen-year-old girl. Not only was she graceful, no one suspected an innocent-looking girl like Scintilla to be such a threat.

"Don't you feel bad about stealing from those people?" Alanis asked as Scintilla delivered her winnings, about 100 gil.

"I used to, but my parents are dead. I have to steal to survive every day." She stated, in a blunt, bitter way that shocked them all.

"You're an orphan?" Vidina asked, completely caught off guard by this discovery.

"Yeah, yeah I am." She replied, her eyes narrowed in an angry sort of way. "But you guys better not make a big deal out of it, like everyone else does."

Cahake said slowly, "Alright, if you say so." But there was a long, awkward pause, as they all wondered about how much they valued their parents.

* * *

The ferry ride felt ominous. Vidina had maintained a good resolve so far, but it was all beginning to crumble. He was getting nervous, wondering, questioning Nyeha's judgment and planning. Sure, he would like to trust her completely, and be free of worry, but such a thing was only human, right? They were all sort of quiet on the boat ride, thinking to themselves about Yevon knew what. For the first time since Nyeha had left, he reached into his pocket and touched the glass, and for some reason, felt strength and promise and a new reassurance. 

"I think you should head toward the boundary." Yuna said to Nyeha, nodding slightly. "Vidina's getting closer to Guadosalam."

"How can you tell?" Nyeha asked, cocking her head slightly.

"Why, he just touched the glass in his pocket. We can hear all that's going through his head."

"Really?" Nyeha asked, not even pretending to hide her curiosity.

"He's crossing the Moonflow now—and he's terribly worried about you. So much he can't even bear it. But all the while, he trusts that you know what you're doing." Yuna paused, smiling at Tidus for a moment. "And I think that's awful brave of him."

"Yeah," Nyeha said, smiling to herself, "You're right. It is."

After a short journey on a path through the woods, they came upon Guadosalam. The entrance seemed to be made of a green, glowing glass that was interwoven with tree roots and branches, and as they entered the city, the whole town seemed to be made of those branches, and all of a sudden, it seemed like night once they were under the cover of the roof. All of the panels on all of the buildings seemed to emit an unnatural glow, from reds to blues to greens the city seemed to be its own light source.

"Wow." Livius let out, and the others seemed to be rendered speechless. "It's amazing…"

"It's the city of many a legend." Cahake pointed out, but after a moment of silence, all heads turned to Vidina.

"Go find her." Alanis whispered, her face slightly pale.

Vidina took a deep breath, and headed up a well-worn bridge, through a doorway. Inside this new room revealed a staircase that seemed to lead to a field of flowers, though the visage seemed foggy and misty.

"Nyeha!" He called out, and he was surprised how his voice seemed to echo endlessly.

Not too far away, Nyeha heard her name. "Vidina!"

In a few seconds they were in sight of each other, and she ran into his arms. He closed his eyes as relief washed over him, drowning out the rest of his senses. It was good to have her back, and for now, all that mattered was Nyeha. "I think I'd die without you." He whispered into her ear. All too late, he heard Scintilla's familiar scream and the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Before he realized what was going on, his arms were wrenched from around Nyeha and handcuffed behind his back, and when he opened his eyes, all he could see was Nyeha's petrified face.

A gruff voice whispered in his ear, "I'm afraid you're under arrest for high treason."


	27. Chapter 26: High Treason

**A/N: My goodness, I'm terribly excited about writing the coming chapters, but a little intimidated as well, because there are all sorts of little things that I have to be sure to include. Perhaps I'll write them all down and make a list of things to remember, because this is a delicate part of the story and I could screw this up pretty badly.**

**best with breadsticks: Thanks! And, well, here's my update!**

**Zaz9-zaa0: Oh, don't worry. Scintilla will gain quite a bit more sympathy in this chapter. :'( I almost cried writing it myself... And Alanis and Livius are quite the peculiar pair, but I'm pretty sure their relationship will be fully explored at some point...and if not, I'll write a spinoff.  
**

**Ogro: …And here comes an exceptionally long reply to an exceptionally long review. ;) Oh, but I enjoyed that exceptionally long review more than you know. First, I want to start off with a few excuses as to why I answer reviews in my author's note, as opposed to using the reply button. (clears throat) Well, my first excuse is that I've been around a while. Yes, believe it or not, I signed up more than three years ago, and for the longest time, we didn't have a 'Reply' button. Or PM's, or anything like that. So A) answering reviews in the stories themselves is an old habit of mine. Excuse B is that this is a mystery, and when people ask questions I usually answer them. And I want to give everyone a fair chance at figuring out parts of my mystery, even if they don't ask the right questions. So if I feel the need to address a particular review through PM's, I will, but your questions are so good I fell as though I should share the answers with everyone. I should have an excuse for the way I update, but I really don't. If I wait too long after finishing one chapter to start a new one, I lose the motivation. And sometimes I just don't have the time. If it makes you feel better, no one knows anything beyond what I post. I know my good friend ****Pickles And Teaparties**** in person, and she still doesn't know squat about what's going to happen. And she **_**hates**_** me for it. Though we will get around to doing character designs and such eventually.**

**Speaking of which, I plan to upload some miscellaneous sketches relating to this story up to my dA (deviantArt), on which I am acrilla. So if you want to take a moment and check if I have anything up every so often, it might be worth your time.**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

"_High Treason"_

"If you want to delve into specifics," The man continued in Vidina's ear, "You're being arrested for assisting high treason. But it's a funny thing, though. The punishment for both is the same."

Feeling a bit reckless, Vidina said, "I suppose by that, you mean death."

The man gave a hearty laugh. "Well, at least we know she didn't deceive you."

* * *

"_Are you satisfied?!" A figure called out, but there was no reply. He narrowed his eyes, watching through his looking glass as the girl and the boy were carried off by his own officers. Their companions seemed to be gaping, proof that they had no idea of the pair's treacherous act. Technically, the girl was the only one being arrested for high treason, the boy was only being arrested because he didn't report her. The figure shook his head. It didn't matter the charge when you were in front of Bevelle's grand jury. They would find both guilty and put them to death by way of the Via Purifico. It was simple, really. The figure frowned, slightly disappointed that the game of cat and mouse was finally over, and there wasn't a lot he could do. Suddenly, he called out again, "Their successors have been arrested! I hope you've found satisfaction."_

"_Of course I have. You would think otherwise?"_

* * *

Naturally, they weren't about to let the prisoners go gallivanting as they pleased, so they locked them in the hotel. As they herded Vidina and Nyeha down the hallway, they heard Alanis arguing with one of the guards."Can't we at least _see_ them?" 

From the way her voice sounded, she had been bothering them about it for quite a while, but then Livius interjected,

"Isn't it necessary to administer an interview of the suspects by a certified scholar of Bevelle?"

"Of course it is, but do you see any certified Bevelle scholars around here?"The guards taking Vidina and Nyeha let go of their prisoners and turned around in the hallway to watch, so they themselves took the opportunity to get a full view of the situation. Livius was now digging determinedly through Alanis' bag, and her face was flushed. "Aha!" He pulled out a small pocketbook, and flipped it open to reveal a scholar's badge. Alanis turned to him, shocked and startled but not showing it. More like--disappointed. Her eyes didn't betray a hint of what she was feeling.

"I'll let you two go back, but they," He gestured to Cahake and Scintilla, "will have to wait. They'll get a chance after you're finisehd up."

Vidina got a ferocious shove in the back as they headed to a room, and the guards gathered four chairs. Vidina noted that they were hard, uncomfortable chairs, but that didn't phase him once he realized he was going to be tied to the chair. He looked up at the guard in black, clanging armor as he produced the rope and began to tie Vidina in at his wrists and his ankles. He was greatly saddened when he looked over at Nyeha, to see her tied in similarly. He was terribly, terribly afraid. Nyeha had managed to get herself out of the Farplane--but would they be stopped by forces that were clearly human, after all?

In a moment, Livius and Alanis joined them and the guards left the room to guard the door, as was standard procedure for the interview. There was a long, long moment of silence as the two walked in and slowly sat down in the chairs that sat before Nyeha and Vidina. Livius pulled a notebook out of Alanis' bag without much digging, and any other day Alanis would have accused him of deliberately going through her things, but this time was different. She turned her head slightly in his direction, as if trying to figure him out through the corner of her eye. She still had that same look on her face, that muted sadness, that made her impossible to figure out.

Livius stared at the two for the longest of moments, and no one was sure what to say. He held the pen in his hand, barely touching the notebook, holding perfectly still as he stared at the two people across from him, people he had recently found out were traitors to the rest of the world. He turned his head slightly to Alanis, as if, in the back of his mind, the part that couldn't perceive what she was feeling, as if he was looking for support from her, but instantly realizing that he wasn't going to get it. After a long moment of looking at her, he put the pen down. "I don't see what you want me to say to you."

"I want you to tell me why you lied to me." She said slowly, softly, a little bit of a menacing bitterness hidden just beyond her voice, threatening him.

"What was I supposed to tell you?" He replied with his own question, his voice rising to meet hers. "That I was a scholar, placed in Mi'ihen to study?"

"I don't know," Alanis whispered slowly, honestly, "I suppose I just expected you to tell me the truth. I expected you to trust me." But as her eyes swept across those of the other people sitting across from her, she saw the faces of two other people who had been keeping secrets from her, and Vidina could see it in her face that she felt betrayed. "Am I truly the only one who is not keeping a secret from the world?" She asked, unable to meet the eyes of anyone else in the room. Instead, she chose to stare at her hands in her lap.

"You're a liar." Livius accused in the softest of voices, once again matching hers. "You _are_ keeping a secret from us. At least, you though you were."

Alanis looked over at him, anger apparent in her eyes. "How dare you make such a--"

"Alanis, I know about your brother."

Her mouth fell open slightly, but she quickly closed it as not to show that she had been caught completely off guard by Livius' flat, blunt statement.

"As a scholar of Bevelle, it would be my duty to report such an act of treason." He said, narrowing his eyes. Vidina had to admit, he was setting aside his duty to keep Alanis' brother safe on Bikanel. Maybe they didn't hate each other as much as it seemed. "But I happen to know for a fact that your brother is alive and well and soon to be married." He looked her in the eye, relaxing his own slightly. "Do you trust me now?"

Alanis' face relaxed, but her eyes were filled with tears. "What choice do I have? It's high treason for an Al Bhed to pose as a Spiran, and likewise it is for a Spiran to pose as an Al Bhed." As they both turned to face Vidina and Nyeha and Livius picked up his pen, she whispered, "Perhaps there are some secrets that are better left untold."

Livius conducted the interview, as was procedure. It was general, vague and impersonal, but it was, as Livius himself described, "Something to put on file."

He sighed. "I'm terrified for you two." He said, leaning back in his chair as his shoulders fell and he shook his head slightly. "I know this court system inside and out. The moment they find out that you're Al Bhed, they'll convict you."

"People have escaped from the Via Purifico before." Nyeha said, obviously alluding to her mother and Vidina's father, but only Vidina himself seemed to pick up on it.

"I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm saying that it's fairly unheard of and highly unlikely."

"But it's been done." Nyeha maintained. There was a long, long pause in which all four members of the room contemplated their own fate.

"Is it--is it true--what they're saying?" Alanis asked, her face pale. Sensing her sudden weakness, Livius reached over and squeezed her hand with his own, but he only distracted her for a moment. "Are you Gippal and Rikku's daughter, the princess of the Al Bhed?"

Nyeha breathed in for a long moment. "'Princess' is somewhat of a derogatory term, if you ask me." She said softly, "I like to think of myself as a revolutionary."

* * *

When Scintilla and Cahake entered the room, they were wearing very different expressions on their faces. Cahake's face was contorted into all kinds of emotions: fear, concern, disappointment, dread, shame, some Vidina couldn't even figure out. Scintilla, on the other hand, seemed perfectly emotionless. Sort of like a paper doll, Vidina mused, cut out from one colorful piece of paper, but with a plain, default face. Even in her vivid yellow eyes, there was no emotion to be found. For a skeptical moment, Vidina even wondered if she _cared_ that they were going to be put to death for high treason. 

They were seated in the two chairs across from Nyeha and Vidina, and for a moment, there was silence. The guards ambled off in their clanky armor to go guard the door, one on the inside, barely out of earshot, and the other outside the door, to keep anyone from getting in--or out.

Cahake spoke first. "Wow." Was all he said, for a moment, but then he sighed and added, "You guys never cease to amaze me." He sighed again and put his hand to his forehead, resting his head in his hands. "I always had a hunch, y'know, in the back of my mind." He said, as he looked up at Nyeha, "You always seemed different. But I never even let myself consider it...but I suppose that now, it all makes sense." Suddenly, he seemed slightly angry, frustrated. "Did you--did you think you could change the world? That somehow, if you made it to Bevelle, you could somehow free the rest of the Al Bhed and live to tell the tale? And you're both going to die now, because of an impossible dream!"

"Shut up!" All three heads turned to look at Scintilla. Her face twisted into a look of pure grief, there were hot tears running down her face and falling onto her orange skirt. "Don't say that!" She shuddered, for a moment, before looking Nyeha, sitting across from her, hard in the eye with her stunning golden eyes that were clouded with sadness and tears. "My parents were put to death. My parents commited high treason. My mother--for fleeing from the Yevonites almost fourteen years ago. And my father--my father for helping her. He didn't have to die!"

She cried in a whispered voice, "He was no Al Bhed! But he knew that his wife was expecting a baby, and she wanted to bring a child into the world, one that wouldn't grow up in a prison with the hope of no escape! They hid her for as long as they could--but the Yevonties find everyone. And they were angry, they wanted to kill her on the spot! But my father, he was willing to bargain. And in exchange for his life, my mother was allowed to live long enough to have her baby, before she too was sentenced to death for committing high treason." She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "I am a city girl, but I was not born in Luca. I was born in a prison! In a dungeon, part of the Via Infinito in the very bowels of Bevelle. I am an orphan because of high treason."

Vidina looked over at Nyeha, and her face was reddened with anger and her hand was clenched in a fist, but she could do nothing. Vidina, unable to move, nodding at Cahake. On cue, he took the small girl into his arms as she cried, suddenly overcome by fear and grief and loss.

"Please--Nyeha--don't give up just because of high treason. Please don't give up, because I'm half Al Bhed. I still I suffer alongside you, and the rest of my race. We need you, Nyeha."


	28. Chapter 27: From Here

**A/N: Wow. I looked back at the last chapter and realized that nothing happened. Really. It was a whole chapter of talking. My goodness, it's starting to turn into Yours Truly...Not that I don't like that story, but it's a little different for me to write without mystery and action and such.**

**In other news, I've decided I'm not going to change my penname to November Midnights, but I'll keep my identity and go with Painted Sky, based on a poem I wrote of the same name.**

**Ogro:**** Cahake is...well...he's kinda like Wakka, in a way. He's just stubborn and set in his ways, and he has a tad bit more developing to do before..well...And Livius..well...it's hard to say anything about him, really. He's the most mysterious of anyone in the party, and he's still got plenty of secrets left to reveal. Oh, and I went back and fixed the paragraphs. Because MS Word was slowing down my computer, I've started to use this online word processor called Zoho, and it's nice except for the fact that it screws up all my paragraphs. I managed to fix most of them before I uploaded it, but I'll be more careful next time. Anyway, the leader in Bevelle has some important connections, and he knows who knows Nyeha's secret. How? Well, I really can't say. I must say again that Livius is a vital character to the story and will go through some brutal, brutal development sometime in the future.**

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** I felt bad, having to put poor Scintilla through all that, but I'm all about character development, and she's probably done the most development so far. (Besides Vidina himself, perhaps).**

**Pray for Rain:****  
Chapter Twenty Seven:  
**_"From Here"_

They were left alone in the room, still tied to the chairs. For a long while, it was silent. Vidina was thinking about his home, back in Besaid, his parents, and if they knew what he had gotten himself into. He winced as he realized that his mother was an Advisor. She would definitely be informed if her own son was arrested for assisting high treason. But as he continued to think, he realized that because of Maester Seymor's murder in Macalania, his own parents had been arrested and his own father thrown into the Via Purifico. But they had survived, obviously. Perhaps they would understand what he was going through, imprisoned and sentenced to die because of what he thought was right.

"Vidina," Nyeha said softly, pausing for a long time before continuing. "Thank you. I gave you plenty of opportunities to go home. You could have turned back. The others might not have been warned, but you, you knew the truth. But you stayed with me, right until the end."

"Nyeha, this isn't the end!" Vidina whispered desperately, "Can't you see? It's not just us! Scintilla, Alanis, Cahake, even Livius still believes in us! I know it!" He paused for a long time, thinking, "And I still believe in us." He twisted his hand around, wriggling his right arm out of the ropes, then his left. He untied his legs, before going to work on Nyeha's knots. "When we get out of all of this, we'll go to Zanarkand. I promise. I want to see all of Spira with you, to complete our journey. Will you come with me?"

"Yeah." She whispered back, as she stood up. "I will." They looked at each other for a moment, before Vidina's eyes caught the glint of a piece of glass, sitting placidly on a doily on the nightstand.

"Nyeha," He said, pointing to it, and after she glanced at him with sad eyes, they reached out to receive the memories.

* * *

___At first, all they saw was a room, a simple but elegant room with many people standing in it, some they recognized and a few they did not. Vidina gasped slightly as he saw his parents in their younger days, his father decked out in the Besadian blitzball garb. Nyeha had to admit that she did resemble her mother in her fifteen year old form, the age that Nyeha herself was._

_Suddenly, the room began to change. It seemed to resemble space, with falling stars and meteors whizzing through the room._

_"This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead that wander the Farplane." The figure that spoke was one dressed in elegant robes, with strikingly stiff blue hair that seemed to have a mind of its own. The actual voice seemed to irritate Vidina all over, giving him chills.The room began to change again, to a city filled with lights, a true metropolis._

_"Zanarkand!" Tidus let out, and they could sense his desire to be home.  
_

"Correct. Zanarkand as it looked one thousand years ago. The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived here." The same man spoke again, in an oily and slightly melodious voice.

"She, who?" Lady Yuna asked, curious.

The room changed again to reveal a woman on her bed. "Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna gasped, and the man replied,

"She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from its ravages. And you have inherited her name."

"It was my father who named me." Yuna said, with a familiar sadness and loss that they had seen in Scintilla's eyes not too long ago.

"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did. However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the undefeatable Sin...it took an unbreakable bond of love -- of the kind that binds two hears for eternity."

Vidina looked at the face Tidus was making as the man asked Yuna something, and they realized that something didn't quite add up.

The vision faded before their eyes, but as Vidina blinked he saw his mother speaking.

_"What?"_

_"So, Lulu, what do you think about Yuna getting married?" Tidus asked, trying his best to be casual._

_"As long as the pilgrimage continues, either way's fine." She replied, without any hint of emotion._

_"That's it? What if she doesn't even like the guy? Is that okay?" He asked, a slightly anger in his voice._

_"People marry for different reasons." She explained, patient, as if she were dealing with a small child._

_"What's that mean?"_

_"Sometimes marriage doesn't require love, you know? Defeat Sin, and bring joy to the people of Spira. For Yuna, they're just two ways down the same road. All you need is determination. If you have that, you don't need love."_

* * *

The vision faded before their eyes.

"You know, even as Yuna was married, Tidus stayed with her--until the end. It's quite amazing, really. Their story is what all love stories want to be." Nyeha said, with a small smile. "Did you know Yuna jumped off a building to keep her comrades alive? She summoned her aeon in midair to catch her as she fell." Nyeha let go of the piece of glass and sat down in the chair again, rubbing the new scar on her hand.

"These pieces of glass," She began to explain, "Are the pieces of memories left behind by Yuna and Tidus, pieces of the door to their prison. What's keeping them inside is their memories--their lack of them. They remember people, they were able to tell that I look like my mother, but these are their memories--they don't remember the pilgrimage, the search and defeat of Vegnagun. It's our job, as revolutionaries, to keep collecting these pieces and put them back together, sort of like a puzzle." She breathed out and smiled, "Do you think we can handle it? We'll have to go to the ends of the world. To Zanarkand."

"I'm sure we can." Vidina said.

They came into get the two shortly before dark, they estimated, because the light was always the same in an underground city. And they weren't the least bit surprised that Nyeha and Vidina had gotten themselves out of the chairs. They handcuffed the two, again, and shoved them along to the lobby again.

"They're taking us along as witnesses." Alanis said as they passed by. "We'll be coming with you." Vidina took note that for once, she and Livius weren't fighting, and he had his arm around her shoulders. The massive group of Nyeha and Vidina's party and two guards to each person moved out of the hotel and towards a small tunnel. There was a small noise of fright from Nyeha, a yelp that he had never heard escape her lips. As they passed through into a land like Vidina had never seen before, one of the guards groaned as Nyeha wiggled in her handcuffs.

"I forgot we were taking Rikku's daughter."

"What?"

"She's terrified of storms, and so I suppose this one is, too."

"Well, aren't we glad we're passing through the Thunder Plains?"

Vidina took a look around. The sky was dark and filled with clouds of ash. The ground, too, seemed to be a burnt mixture of dirt and dark ashes, and there were lightning towers every twenty or thirty feet. He glanced over at Nyeha, whose face was completely drained of color and appeared to be literally quaking in her boots. He tried to slow down and say something to comfort her, but he was pushed along and could only face forward.

Though the close-quarters lightning seemed to make him wary, all was well until a bolt struck him on the head before he could get out of the way, and as he fell to his knees, it was all he could do not to lose consciouness. He squeezed his eyes shut but forced himself to maintain consciouness as the guards around him sighed and waited for him to stand back up. He heard the struggle of handcuffs as Nyeha attempted to turn back and see how he was doing, but her guards insisted that they keep moving.

"Come on." Vidina heard, and he was hoisted up to a standing position by his armpits. They shoved him in the back and eventually, they caught up with Nyeha.

"Drao duug so pyk. ((**They took my bag.**))" Nyeha mumbled, looking over at Vidina.

After realizing what she said, he replied, "Uv luinca drao tet. ((**Of course they did.**))" From their former companions that would now be testifying against them, there came many surprised and shocked expressions Vidina answered her in her native tongue, and the guards just seemed annoyed, not able to understand the two and not being able to do anything about it.

"Ed'c hud rambehk ouin lyca du ghuf dra myhkiyka, Vidina. ((**It's not helping your case to know the language, Vidina.**))" She said softly, carefully. She seemed almost a little angry with him, but her facial expression changed as a bolt of lightning struck not too far away.

"Ed'c hud rambehk ouinc, aedran. ((**It's not helping yours, either.**))" He pointed out, and she bit her lip and replied,

"E's hud dnoehk du ramb so lyca. ((**I'm not trying to help my case.**))"

"Haedran ys E. ((**Neither am I.**))" Vidina said, meaning it. There was a long silence, in which he recalled a conversation, marked with fireworks and a magical feeling, despite the terror they had experienced previously. "Yvdan fa--yvdan fa cinjejat dra Den of Woe, fa taletat dryd ajah druikr fa ryja aylr udran, fa fuimt ku du Bevelle. Nasaspan? ((**After we--after we survived the Den of Woe, we decided that even though we have each other, we would go to Bevelle. Remember?**))"

"Oayr, oayr E tu. ((**Yeah, yeah I do.**))" She replied, smiling at the memory.

"Dra vidina tuach'd clyna ic. Ed hajan ryc. ((**The future doesn't scare us. It never has.**))" Vidina smiled as well, though it felt odd to use his own name in conversation, the way it fell off his tongue like any other word. He had to admit that it was a little bizarre.

"Yvdan ymm, fa'na najumideuhyneac. Ed fuimt pa fnuhk ev fa vamd udranfeca.((**After all, we're revolutionaries. It would be wrong if we felt otherwise.**))" Nyeha said, smirking, and Vidina realized that maybe he was right.

This wasn't the end.


	29. Chapter 28: For You

**A/N: Sad to say that I won't be updating all weekend, though there's a good chance I'll be doing loads of writing. Now that I have a new laptop, I'll be able to take it with me to my grandparents, but I'll be deprived of all internet access all weekend and won't be able to post anything. I've sorta played favorites and posted two letters on Yours Truly in the past twenty four hours, but I have admit it is a lot easier to write than this. These chapters are longer, the details more...well...detailed, and it's more of an epic adventure than Yours Truly will ever be.**

**Ogro: Did you enjoy my explanation of the names? Don't worry, someone here still has some explaining to do. And the scars, well, that'll be explained too. Nyeha just hasn't had a lot of time to talk, yet.**

**sarah: Rikku got over her fear of lightning in the game, but I assume that it's in Nyeha's genes. XP**

**Zaz9-zaa0: That's the question of the moment, believe it or not. Everyone's going to react differently, but someone in particular will be more or less central to the plot when we get to Bevelle.**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**

_"For You (Interlude)"_

They walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Vidina slowly began to wonder if the Thunder Plains ever ended, because everything was starting to look the same, after a while. Burnt landscape, lightning towers, it was impossible to pick out landmarks. He tried to figure out how long he had been awake, because he was starting to feel a bit drowsy. But the sky never got any darker or lighter, so he had to make his own assumptions about the time of day.

And it was then, as he walked and walked and walked, that he began thinking. He sort of replayed his whole journey in his mind, from a storm in the late afternoon on Besaid island. Nyeha had come in with the weather, crash-landing on his island and threatening his life if he didn't come with her. He had labeled her as self-contradictory in his mind, however, because after threatening him to keep him quiet, she was willing to let him go. In retrospect, he understood her train of thought a lot better, but then again, he understood a lot of things better in retrospect. Especially doing the wrong thing for the right reason. From there they had taken off to Kilika, crashing a mile or so offshore, to where they walked to the beach. There, Nyeha had found the first piece of glass, and Vidina had thought she was going to die. In the back of his mind, he worried that she might have, if Cahake hadn't come along to save the day. It still bothered him, after all this time, a pang of jealousy to know that Cahake saved her life, when Vidina had no idea what to do. It bothered him that his ignorance might have cost Nyeha her life. He mentally promised himself that he would make it up to her sometime in the future, and be ready to save her life when she needed it.

They had stayed the night at Kilika, and when they headed back to the airship at daybreak, there had been a short but heartfelt conversation between the two companions. Yet another thing that Vidina understood now. They had boarded the ferry to Luca, and it was on the boat ride that Vidina began learning Al Bhed. Remembering he and Nyeha's lengthy conversation earlier, he realized that it was nice to be fluent now, and he was very glad that he had begun learning on that boat. It had definitely been a bonding experience for the two. When they got to Luca they met Scintilla, the pint-sized pyromaniac. She and Cahake joined their journey, and once they were on the Mi'ihen Highroad, they met Alanis and Livius in quick succession. Vidina finally gave in and took a moment to ponder their relationship.

From the unusual and inconsistent way they treated each other, he was sure they had a past. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of past, but they were connected to each other in some sort of way, even if they wouldn't come right out and admit it. Then again, he and Nyeha were certainly connected, but they sure didn't act like Alanis and Livius. They were at least a few years older than he and Nyeha, however, and attributed their--abnormality to that alone. And finally, Vidina concluded, they certainly cared about one another, even if they weren't willing to show it. How did he know? Well, he could just tell that beneath all their inconsistencies, they really cared about what the other thought of them. Perhaps that was why they fought so much.

When they had reached Mushroom Rock Road, Vidina and Nyeha had experienced an escapade in the Den of Woe that eventually led to a confession of feelings between the two, and perfectly timed fireworks from Scintilla. The group had continued on from there without their hover, Alanis having to leave behind her livelihood to travel to Bevelle. Vidina slowly wondered why she was traveling with them anyway, for she had never really been explicit about it. Then again, he realized, no one had really come out and say why they were going to Bevelle. They were just a group of six people with a common destination, why not travel together? But as he thought, he realized as well that through all of this, they had really become friends.

They had run across a group of rebels (a memory that still frightened Vidina, slightly) before reaching Djose. It was there that Nyeha masqueraded as a guard, and there were questions from the rest of the group that were never answered. But by now, Vidina realized, they had all realized that they were right in the back of their minds, after all. They didn't need to ask those questions now. They had already been answered the moment of Vidina and Nyeha's arrest. Upon finding the glass set into the door, Nyeha had fallen into the hole and met with Tidus and Yuna, though he was going to get to that when the time came. By this point, he was telling his mind and memory a narrative, to pass the time as he walked on, carrying his own chains.

The remaining group, after losing Nyeha, their leader, had traveled on to the Moonflow, deciding that the best place to look for her would be Guadosalam. Upon entrance to the city and Vidina's reunion with Nyeha, they were arrested for high treason. The punishment for high treason (Nyeha's indictment) and facilitating high treason (Vidina's official indictment), was death, naturally, but lately Vidina had begun to expect things like that, and he realized somewhere in teh back of his mind that he and Nyeha had been preparing for this all along. They had both known from the very beginning that this was a suicide mission, but they had continued on. Why? Vidina asked himself. Well, his mind supplied, either we're crazy, or we're onto something good. And he hoped with all his might that it was the latter.

A little while into their terrible journey through the Thunder Plains, Vidina and Nyeha had had a lengthy conversation about what she had experienced on the Farplane.

"Yuna is---brilliant." She had said, in Al Bhed, naturally. "I think she knows everything that's going on, even from her prison."

She had explained to him that the pieces of glass they were coming across so often were both pieces of the memories of Tidus and Yuna and the door to their prison, keeping them trapped inside the land of the dead. But when their memories had first shattered, Yuna had the chance to place the pieces of glass that she thought the two would be visiting. That much, he had decided, he could have probably figured out or assumed on his own, but what came next shocked and scared him a little bit.

"There is--" Nyeha had begun hesitantly, slowly, as if she had started her sentence and decided that she wanted to back out of telling him. But she shook her head, she had to continue. "There is a prophecy. About--about us."

She explained that as Yuna had fallen, so many years ago, she had heard a prophecy about a boy and a girl destined to cross paths and bring about a revolution to Spira that people would speak of for ages to come. This alone shocked Vidina, to know that they might actually see this through. Now, however, as he thought about it, he realized that the prophecy had never said anything about them coming out of the revolution alive, just that they would bring it about. She explained that Yuna, as she had fallen and begun to disappear, she had seen their journey through, from the storm in the late afternoon to the end of it all, though when her memories were stolen, the prophecy and the vision were both lost to her for good.

And then, Nyeha had explained about the scars. "They're a representation of the struggles of the pilgrimage and the quest to defeat Vegnagun. Each scar that was left on Yuna's heart," She explained slowly, "was left on my hand."

She had talked some more about the prophecy, explaining that whoever had imprisoned Yuna had told her bits and pieces as they collected the glass and she and Tidus regained their memories. Almost as if--whoever was imprisoning them was baiting them, playing with them, even as Nyeha and Vidina continued on.

"Whoever it is must have a personal grudge against Tidus and Yuna." Nyeha had finished, sighing, trying to remember if there was anything else she needed to tell him. They had walked in silence for quite a while, as they were doing now, but Nyeha had interrupted after not too long,

"Can you believe it? We're marching to our deaths, after all we've been through."

"There's absolutely nothing to fear, Nyeha." Vidina said slowly, softly, comfortingly. "I'll always be there for you."


	30. Chapter 29: Spite

**A/N: I cannot apologize enough for neglecting this story. I really, really can't. Luckily, I've finished all the writing on my other multi-chap work in progress, so until this is finished it's going to get my full attention. **

**Ogro:**** Yeah, the chapter didn't really reveal anything new, but it really helped to get everything in perspective and put me back on track. ;)**

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** No kidding! I spend a lot of time thinking about how to wrap up chapters, because it's really important to leave the reader with a good feeling. **

**Best with breadsticks:**** Yup, you have to admit, he's pretty persistent. **

**Once again, I apologize for taking this long. But now that I'm motivated again and I'm on break, I should get a lot of it done before I have to go back to school.**

**Starting in sort of a bad place, but the flashbacks are sort of necessary…**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**

"_Spite"_

Despite the fact that she was asleep under a rickety old shelter in the middle of the Thunder Plains, Alanis was fast asleep.

"_Dad!" She called out, as she watched her father being taken away to prison, found guilty on charges of possession of illegal machina. "Dad!" The eleven year old girl called out, her voice weaker and breaking this time. She felt her older sister put an arm around her as she began to tremble. She didn't understand, and she didn't think she ever would. Her dad didn't do anything wrong! He was only looking out for his family, and now she was scared that she was never going to see him again. _

"_We have to leave, Alanis. Before they come after us, too." Her mother looked down at her with sad, sad eyes. _

Her dream shifted and changed, the colors melting together and reforming to the vision of the Highroad, as she drove the hover for the first time.

"_Ahhh!" She called out, swerving out of the way of a pedestrian. How in the world did her mother expect her to do this for a living? _

"_Don't worry, Alanis! Your father was a little rough on it at first, too!" _

_She was pretty sure her mother was lying, but she turned around and headed back in the other direction, staying silent and she got her bearings._

Her subconscious recalled her first crash.

_Leaving her damaged hover in the ditch, she ambled over to the nearest building. Luckily, she hadn't been taking anyone at the time, because a piece of metal had fallen off and sliced her arm, which was now bleeding profusely. The fifteen-year-old swore. This was not good. _

_The moment she stepped foot into the hotel, the receptionist rushed up to meet her._

"_My god!" A man with blue hair cried, catching sight of the blood covering her arm. _

That had been her fateful first encounter with Livius. Oh, how he had changed her path…

"_I hear you're on the run from the law." Livius said, raising his eyebrows amusedly._

"_I'm doing nothing of the sort." Alanis protested, "Where do you pick up that kind of filthy gossip? Just like a Lucan woman, honestly."_

"_At least I acquire more knowledge than things about that heathen gadget of yours."_

"_Don't even bring up my line of work. At least I'm making more than minimum wage."_

Even in her sleep, Alanis admitted that their relationship was…complicated.

_As she acknowledged the hand on her waist, Alanis backed up against the wall of the empty hotel lobby, and Livius responded by deepening the kiss. _

"_You're enjoying this." She accused, opening one blue eye and smirking._

"_Absolutely not." He protested, "There is absolutely nothing between us."_

"_Prove it." _

_Alanis closed her eyes again as his arm snaked around her waist and he kissed her again, neither one wanting to succumb to the other._

"_Convinced?" He asked, smirking that same smirk she loved._

"_Hardly."_

Alanis woke to the clanging of armor and a clap of thunder, her body moving into panic mode before she really remembered where she was. As she looked over at the faces of her sleeping comrades, she remembered.

Vidina was also beginning to come to, and found that he had a massive headache. He soon realized why. He looked around to discover that they had fallen asleep under an old shelter in the middle of the Thunder Plains, surrounded by some Bevellian guards. Nyeha and Cahake had been asleep beside him, the former already sitting up and moving around, while Scintilla, Livius and Alanis were a few feet away. He looked to the north and saw that Machalania forest was not far away. If not at the end of today, then tomorrow they would reach Bevelle. And he was quite unsure of what would happen there.

"Fa'na hud dryd vyn yfyo, yna fa? ((**We're not that far away, are we?**))" He asked, turning to his Al Bhed companion. She was staring off into the distance, past the lake. As there was a clap of thunder, Vidina thought the poor girl would jump right out of her skin, but instead of whimpering or whining, she simply answered,

"Pehku. ((**Bingo.**))" She didn't even turn to look at him.

Only slightly offended by her shortness, Vidina went on to ask, "Fryd'c kuehk du rybbah uhla fa kad drana? ((**What's going to happen once we get there?**))"

"Fryd rybbahc rybbahc. ((**What happens happens.**))" She replied as they stood up at the instruction of the guards. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Alanis shouting at Livius.

"Hard to believe that they're at it already…" He mumbled, but she stayed silent. "Fryd'c ib? Oui'na naymmo xiead. ((**What's up? You're really quiet.**))"

"Rusacelg. ((**Homesick.**))" She replied, glancing at him for a moment, apology behind her eyes, but as they began walking in the direction of the forest, she looked away again.

"What's up with her?" Cahake asked Vidina, and the Besaidian turned and replied slowly.

"Well, sometimes, it's just better to leave Nyeha alone." He began, "It's always been that way." He thought for a moment, before adding, "I found out her secret when she crashed on the island, so it took quite a bit of persistence to convince her to let me travel with her. There are times when Nyeha prefers to fly solo."

Cahake thought for a moment. "I suppose that' s understandable. I really can't imagine how hard it is for her, to have escaped from prison and kept her secret for so long, only to be found out and be sent back to prison."

At this point, Vidina glanced over at Nyeha and became aware of how uncomfortable this conversation was for her, so he searched for his mind for a way to change the subject. It became aware that this searching was unnecessary, when he glanced back and realized that one of Scintilla's guards was on fire.

The guard in question was yelling at the top of his lungs and flailing his limbs, and as the rest of the group stopped to observe, Vidina concluded that that was probably not the best strategy for putting out oneself when they were on fire, but then again, he had never been on fire himself. While a few guards tried to help, most decided that their prisoners were more valuable and chose to simply peer at the situation and wonder how the whole thing came about. The party that they were guarding, however, knew exactly how that fire came about. Scintilla, looking as perfectly innocent as ever, was watching the flames with a simple adoration in her eyes, the bright oranges of the fire leaping to match her fiery-colored hair.

After a few minutes, one of the guards on the sidelines discovered that they had a spare Dragon Scale in their pocket and threw it in the direction of the guard on fire, and in an instant the situation was under control. The guard that had previously been on fire, not wanting to admit that a prepubescent girl had just set him on fire, mumbled something about a stray Fire Elemental, and Scintilla snorted.

It was at this moment that Vidina realized how much these people felt like family. In a short while, they had become a part of his life. As he tried to think of Vidina, the son of Wakka, the Besaidian native and the most attractive teenage boy on the island, it was almost as if he were reading about someone else in a book. Since that fateful day and that fateful storm that had brought two completely different worlds together, he had been changed forever. He wondered if his parents ever felt that way about the pilgrimage. The more he thought, the more he surprised himself with the amount of things he was used to now, the things that had become a part of his daily life. He was used to Nyeha being moody, he was used to Alanis and Livius arguing at any opportunity, he was used to Cahake being nosey and Scintilla setting things on fire. Now that he had lived and loved and fought beside these people, he wasn't sure if he could ever go back to his uneventful life on his uneventful island.

It shocked him, slightly, as he realized exactly what had happened. He had redefined normal.

* * *

They were going to be reaching Machalania Forest soon.

Following Cahake's lead, Vidina turned around to watch Alanis and Livius, who were either arguing again, or they were still in the same fight that they were in when they had left the shelter that morning.

"You're damn right, you're going to testify!" Alanis said, "Just because of your goddamn license, you try and excuse yourself from doing what's right!"

"Like hell am I going on the stand! They'll be putting my integrity on trial!" Livius shot back.

"Maybe your integrity needs to go on trial!" Alanis said, and Vidina swore that there were tears on the corners of her eyes.

"So you'd put me on the stand out of spite?!" Livius cried angrily.

"It's not spite if I really care about you!" She cried back, obviously beginning to lose control of her words and her emotions alike. "But I care about Nyeha and Vidina too! You have a license! You have influence! You, of all people, should be able to convince them to set our friends free!"

Livius relaxed for a minute, dropping his angry stance slightly, but he narrowed his eyes and as they walked, he moved in closer to her and whispered angrily, "I may have influence, but that comes with an obligation to do what's asked of me."

"No one ever asked you to betray me, Livius!" Alanis whispered back, with sad, sad eyes that reminded her of her mother's eyes as she watched her husband get taken away. She shook her head, refusing to let herself think about that time in her life. "No one asked you to break my trust! You did that all on your own!"

As Vidina turned back around, he thought. Every now and then, Alanis and Livius shared a moment of true understanding, he realized, as he thought back to the interrogation. But the majority of the time they spent fighting. They were awfully peculiar…and they enjoyed the game of spite.

* * *

Machalania Forest was unlike anything Vidina had ever seen. If in the Thunder Plains, there was constant darkness, then in Machalania, there was constant light. It was a strange, strange sort of light, though, a glow that reminded him of nothing but moonlight. The trees curved this way and that, appearing more threatening the longer he looked. The path wasn't so much a literal path, but a space where trees had been cleared out and created a possible place to walk. From the members of the party who had never traveled through Machalania (Vidina, Nyeha, Cahake, Scintilla, Alanis), there were gaps, stares, and whispers of "Beautiful!", for the sight was absolutely breath-taking.

Vidina, knowing that he couldn't pass up the chance, pulled a shocked Nyeha into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Gotta seize the day, no? We might never see this place again. And I don't want to take that chance." Knowing she understood, he kissed her first on the cheek and then on the lips, taking advantage of a perfectly romantic moment. Somehow, her fingers found his, but when the broke apart and she let go, there was still a great sadness behind her eyes.


	31. Chapter 30: Unasked, Unanswered

**A/N: Here it is. No promises, but I think I may finally be back on track for this story. I've read it through again a couple times, and decided that it was worth finishing. :) **

**Denya of darkeness:**** It's always nice to see new faces, especially ones who like to leave a review every few chapters. I'm glad you like it so far and I hope you enjoy this installment.**

**J.C. Banister:**** I understand what you mean about the story being rough, and that was part of the reason I abandoned it for as long as I did. I considered rewriting the whole thing over again, but in the end I decided not to, obviously. **

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** I'm a big fan of poignant. :) And Alanis and Livius. Especially in combination.**

**Ogro:**** So so so sorry about taking so long to get this written. I hope it does the rest of the story justice. It was strange for me to be back writing in third person (been working on some original stuff lately), let alone Vidina. Scintilla's basically gone through her brutal development, and Cahake will have his time eventually. But apart from Vidina and Nyeha, the spotlight is on Alanis and Livius now, because both of them play a vital part in the happenings in the city. **

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Thirty:**

"_Unasked, Unanswered"_

"Macalania Temple is to the north." Livius said, gesturing in that direction. But at the direction of the guards, they headed off to the northeast.

Towards Bevelle.

"Dra ledo uv hekrdsynac. ((**The city of nightmares.**))" Nyeha spat, narrowing her eyes.

"Oui nayto? ((**You ready?**))" Vidina asked, as they stepped over branches and roots growing across the path. Scintilla, the smallest of the group, was having a lot of trouble walking and was slowly falling behind.

"Tuac ed syddan? ((**Does it matter?**))" Nyeha snapped, but there was a little bit of hopelessness in her voice. Vidina glanced back behind him to see that indeed, Alanis and Livius were perfectly silent, neither speaking. Now that he knew of Livius' power and influence, he desperately hoped that he was on their side, despite (or because of) Alanis' involvement.

"Buehd dygah. ((**Point taken.**))" Vidina admitted, and turned around again as he heard Scintilla wail slightly. She had fallen over one of the roots and was exceptionally scratched up now. Slipping quietly out of his handcuffs, he moaned, "Oh, Scintilla.." And slowed down and offered the small girl a piggyback ride.

"Thank you." She said cutely as she wrapped her thin arms around his neck. Even taking into account her small appearance, she was surprisingly light. In this imaginary family that the party had formed (a dysfunctional one, he noted), Scintilla was as close to a little sister as he would ever have. As the forest began to thin out, she whispered in his ear, "Hey, Vidina?"

"Yes, Scintilla?" He grunted as he stepped over a final root.

"If you two make it through this alive, will you teach me Al Bhed?" Her question was slightly unexpected, but he obliged.

"Sure."

"Thanks. Did Nyeha teach you?"

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "No, Scintilla. My other Al Bhed friend."

When they reached a crossroads, the guards decided that they were staying there for the night. For the first time in days, Vidina could look up and see the sky and know what time of day it was. Dusk was approaching, and they appeared to be in some kind of mountain range.

There was some brief discussion among the guards, after which it appeared that they had decided that one guard sitting sentry could keep the prisoners at bay. The others bedded down around the exits (minus the Bevelle exit, which Vidina noted probably made sense) as the party watched curiously, wondering vaguely if they were going to be offered pillows and blankets. When they realized that they were not, the six sat down awkwardly, and almost immediately, a fight erupted.

"You are the _last_ person I would share my blanket with, you self-serving bastard!" Alanis shouted, waking a couple of the guards who had dozed off already. Livius' face was flushed, and he pushed his glasses up his nose as he looked around awkwardly, as if trying to convince everyone else in the clearing that nothing had happened.

"Can you believe them?" Nyeha whispered from beside Vidina. She was laying on her back, smirking all over her face.

Vidina laughed quietly. "They'll fall asleep soon. I know we all need the sleep, it's been a really long day." Twenty minutes later, he sat up slightly, just to humor himself, and laughed silently as he noted that ten feet away, Livius was asleep with Alanis half on top of him, her arm draped across his chest, as though she had fallen asleep in the middle of antagonizing him. It was a sight to behold, Vidina thought as he, too, drifted off into sleep.

* * *

_BANGBANGBANG!_

"_Yevon help us…" Wakka murmured as they awoke to more authoritative knocking. _

_BANGBANGBANG!!_

_Lulu, however, noted that the knocking was different this time. Almost frantic, demanding that she come to the door. She hurriedly put on her robe and headed to the front door. _

_BANGBANG--! _

_She swung it open to reveal none other than—_

"_Baralai?" Lulu asked curiously. Sure enough, it was the well-dressed, tanned, white-haired Bevellian leader that stood panting before him, out of breath as though he had run the whole way from Bevelle. _

"_Lulu!" He exclaimed, still panting. _

"_Would you like to come in?" She asked, glancing back into their humble home as Wakka, too, got out of bed to examine the newcomer. _

"_No!" He exclaimed, still panting, his orange eyes bright and wide with fear."There's no time! They'll be here any minute. They can't know I've been here, but I have to tell you: Lulu, your son is alive. He has been arrested for high treason alongside—"_

"_He's been what?!" Wakka exclaimed. He knew what the punishment for high treason was._

"_Well, not exactly high treason. Facilitating high treason. But it's the same thing before the court—Lulu, even if they say no, you have to insist that you serve on the Board during his trial. You need to see your son. He needs you, and Nyeha does too." Baralai panted, looking terrified. "They are the only chance for overthrowing—well, I don't know exactly who it is. I have a very good idea, but it's best if you don't know. But Bevelle is corrupt all the way to the top, and the highest power cannot be stopped by anyone less than the children of the prophecy!"_

"_The children of the what?!" Wakka asked, glancing at Lulu, as if expecting her to fill him in. She was carefully digesting everything that Baralai was saying. _

_Baralai glanced around behind him, worried that the Counselors would show up any minute and slightly aggravated by what he apparently thought was an obvious question. "The children of the prophecy! Nyeha and Vidina! Yevon above! They have been set aside as the children to travel across the lands and bring back what Spira has lost! They have to—" _

_Without warning, an armed Counselor leapt from the shadows and grabbed Baralai, twisting his arm and making him howl in pain as more Counselors arrived. They gagged and handcuffed Baralai before Wakka and Lulu's eyes, and one Counselor detached himself from the group to speak to the couple standing in the doorway. _

"_Nasty business. I knew he would snap someday, crazy bastard." The Counselor spat on the ground, then continued, "I don't know what that loony told you, but your son has been arrested for facilitating high treason alongside an Al Bhed."_

"_The allegedly escaped Al Bhed that apparently didn't escape when she actually did?" Lulu asked, staying surprising cool, considering the news she had just been presented with. _

_The Counselor, who had thought, as Counselors generally thought, that he had a certain authority over Lulu, came to the point, as all Counselors do, when he realized he did not._

"_Well, yes." He grappled with this fact for a moment before continuing, "We, the citizens of Bevelle, extend an invitation for you, Lulu, member of—"_

"_I'm aware of my position." For the first time since Baralai had arrived, she appeared to lose her temper, and her once cold eyes turned fiery. _

"_R—right. Likewise, we extend an invitation for you to serve on the Board during his trial in Bevelle. However, you will not be permitted to vote on the verdict."_

"_I accept your invitation." Lulu said, resuming her cold tone and demeanor once more. She shared a quick glance with her husband, before turning back to the Counselor. Wakka would have to stay. _

"_Right." The Counselor said, wringing his hands now, as if he had been hoping that she would reject the invitation. "Please come with me, Madam. We must leave immediately." _

* * *

Vidina was shaken awake at dawn most unceremoniously by none other than Livius, his face flushed and panic-stricken.

"What the—" Vidina murmured, but he glanced at the faces around him, and the same brand of panic was plastered onto the faces of Nyeha, Cahake and Scintilla.

"Alanis." Livius said, looking more frightened and guilty than Vidina had ever seen him. "She's gone."

* * *

_The figure was seated at a wooden table, still watching the party as they searched every inch of the clearing for a sign of their friend's departure. A being, something less than a figure but still existing, hovered behind the figure._

_The being was gleeful. "This is better than I could have imagined!" _

_The figure remained silent. It was sick, hearing the voice of someone who had once been so respected sound so delighted at other's pain. It was hard for the figure to accept that perhaps this person he thought he had known had change so mu—_

_The being stopped its celebrations. It sensed that its host was having doubts, and that was completely unacceptable. The being repossessed the figure, and soon, the figure delighted in Alanis' departure as well._

"_She's doing our job for us, isn't she? Divided they'll fall, won't they?"_

* * *

Vidina swallowed, surveying the scene. Alanis' bag was gone as well. The guards were all fast asleep, still guarding all exits. Except for one. Vidina swallowed again. "There's only one option. I know she's tricky, but there's no way she could have gotten past the guards."

Livius seemed to struggle with the concept. "But—why would she—that's basically—why would she do that?"

Vidina thought for a long moment, but said only, "Livius, I have no idea."

There was another long moment of silence in which all the members of the party looked at one another, waiting for some huge revelation that wasn't going to come. Suddenly, Cahake said,

"Look!" He pointed. Off in a shadowy corner was an object that had not been there when they had fallen asleep. Determined to get to it first, he crawled over to it, not ready to put a bunch of weight on his injured leg this early in the morning. Out of the shadows came—

"Her blanket." Livius said, something like resignation resounding in his voice. Vidina had never seen someone look so guilty in his life, and he doubted that he would again. The blanket itself was a small, brown, ratty, pathetic looking thing, one of those blankets that small children drag around everywhere with them. Livius unfolded it carefully, obviously noticing an abnormality in the blanket, and discovered that folded inside it was—his pocketbook. Scribbled on a spare sheet of paper in a scrawl that Vidina assumed was Alanis' was the words, "Left for the city. Don't come looking. I'm sorry. –A"

Scintilla spoke what everyone was thinking.

"Why would she leave without us?"

Her question was only met by silence.

"I mean, after all that arguing with Livius to get him to testify…" Her voice was growing, and the group could tell that Scintilla was feeding off of their slightly indignant anger.

"Maybe that's _why _she convinced him to testify." Cahake pointed out, "Because maybe she knew she wouldn't be. She wanted to make sure they had a fighting chance."

All of a sudden, there was another unspoken question weighing on everyone's minds.

It was a while before someone whispered it.

"How—how long do you think she's been planning this?" Vidina asked. He almost didn't want to believe that Alanis had been planning to leave them from the moment she became a part of the group, but he reminded himself that following himself and Nyeha to court hadn't been part of the deal originally. Back when the group had formed, they had all had different reasons to travel to Bevelle, but their goals had undergone a shift the moment Nyeha and Vidina were arrested. Except Alanis', apparently. She had had her own agenda from the beginning, and she had kept it.

"She took my badge." Livius said feebly, as if this was significant. He looked stricken. He stood up slowly, and Vidina watched his companion's facial expression change as he allowed his numb mind to accept the fact that Alanis still hadn't forgiven him for betraying her trust, and that now that she was in the city, she could die before she heard his true, sincere apology.

One by one, the party stood up, Cahake leaning against the rock wall, but as they stood up they turned to face the one unguarded exit, the entrance to the city where Nyeha and Vidina would face their imminent deaths.


	32. Chapter 31: Blame

**A/N: It feels good to be (somewhat) diligently working on this again.**

**Ogro:**** I really honestly thought I was never coming back to it again. But I'm glad that I did. The whole running theme of the party is that no one is exactly what they seem to be. Haha. I meant to mention that Baralai took a ferry from Kilika and ran across the island. He's a bit out of shape. XD. I guess he just had far more important things to say than how he got there, and obviously for good reason.**

**Denya of darkness:**** I won't say that it's not Seymour, but I won't say that it is either. ;) That would be way too easy. Haha, I'll certainly try. I'm busy enough at this time of year that it's hard to find time to write fic, let alone read it. ;)**

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** I love shocking my readers. Yes, poor Livius. And, well, you know how I feel about poignant. Scintilla is so much fun to write. I really don't know what I'd do without her underage brand of comic relief. And now that I'm back, I'll probably try and get working on Sincerely again. Yay!**

**P.S.: You should check out my collab fic on FictionPress. It's under the penname Painted Sky, and it's called Untitled for the moment. I write Noah's half. Sorry about the shameless plug, but we don't have any reviews yet.**

**P.P.S.: Sorry for the horrendously long author's note.**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Thirty One**

"_Blame"_

The guards' first reaction when they discovered Alanis' disappearance was to go absolutely ballistic. They searched nearly a mile in every direction, after which they began to think. Together, they came up with a few reasons that she probably went into the city. Firstly, there was no way such a little girl could get past huge, hunky guards. Next, the prisoners wouldn't have let her go without a fight. After all, she was going to be a key part in their defense. Now they had even less of a defense. And after all, they had searched for her. She couldn't have gotten too far, right? And lastly, they figured that she was probably just a morning person and didn't want to wait up for the rest of them.

The mood among the party was, overall, something resembling misery. All of them seemed to feel equal responsibility for Alanis' leaving, except for maybe Livius. He was the worst. And even in Livius' obvious state of total, complete, heart-wrenching despair, Vidina couldn't help but admit, internally, that maybe it was his fault. Maybe if he hadn't insisted on arguing with her every chance he got, she might have confided in him her secret agenda. But at the same time, Vidina knew that as much as Livius and Alanis fought (and they fought a lot), he never would have driven her away intentionally.

Not long after the guards decided that Alanis' disappearance was nothing to worry about, they made sure all the other party members were accounted for and led them into the city.

Vidina had never seen anything like it. Huge, grand buildings shot high into the air, seeming to be challenging the sky and clouds themselves. The city was red and white and gold, and every surface seemed to be ornately decorated and hand-carved in swirling shapes of flowers and other such things. He wanted to look closer at the lamps that were lit on either side of the party and the guards, but before he knew what was going on, he had been hand cuffed again, and at least one guard was following close behind him as one particularly bulky character led the way down the red-carpeted road.

For a city that held their imminent deaths, it was stunningly beautiful.

It added to the effect that sky was a perfect, clear shade of blue in the windless morning, and only a few puffy white clouds dotted the stark blue dome above them. Vidina glanced around him, and Nyeha, Scintilla and Cahake all had expressions of awe and wonder that he supposed resembled his own. His guard shoved him in the back, and he continued walking, having not realized that he had stopped. They continued walking down the beautiful but terrifying road, the entrance to the inner city at the end of it.

"Ed'c rynt du pameaja dryd drec fyc ymm piemd eh dra hysa uv Yevon. ((**It's hard to believe that this was all built in the name of Yevon.**))" Nyeha mumbled, not betraying a hint of fear as they approached the circular end of the road. Vidina nodded in silent agreement.

Before they entered, they were checked for weapons one more time, then the guards led them through the doors and into the plaza. The guards were addressed by someone dressed from head to foot in robes, who instructed,

"Put them in the cages. The trial isn't until tomorrow."

The guard in front seemed confused by this. "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them. Sans the Scholar, of course. Come, Livius. We have business to attend to."

Livius appeared from somewhere behind Vidina, and without a last glance at the rest of the party, walked off beside the robed man. While Vidina was busy hoping that this was just to keep up appearances, there was a squeak from somewhere behind him.

"Cages?"

"It'll only be until the trial. After it's over, I'm sure you'll be free to go." Nyeha looked as though she wanted to hug Scintilla, and shared a pained glance with Vidina as they were led into a building that was perhaps the largest and grandest of them all.

* * *

"It feels good to be back." Livius said, faking relief. Inside, his stomach was turning over and he was afraid he might be sick.

"It's good to have you back." Replied the Head Scholar Vestidalor, clapping him on the back in the way Livius imagined that a father might. "We've never had a Scholar as young and gifted as you, and I can imagine how dull and frustrating Mi'ihen might have been for someone of your stature and brilliance."

Livius swallowed, determinedly not remembering. "It was a nice change of scenery. I don't think I'm quite fit for city life." Livius admitted.

"It _is _in the nature of a scholar to desire peace and quiet, like you found in Mi'ihen, but really, the people that live around there, it's the cesspools of Luca."

After years of being able to speak his mind and argue on a whim, Livius found it particularly difficult to swallow his pride and keep his mouth shut when he thought he might like to punch Vestidalor in the nose. "And of course, I wasn't allowed to disclose my position in Bevelle, for observation purposes, so I had to pose as a minimum-wage hotel clerk." He cringed at the memory of the worst job in Spira, and that was genuine. However, that hotel lobby brought back other memories, and he swallowed again.

The Head Scholar shook his head sympathetically. "Back when I was trying to rise through the ranks, I was assigned to do some anthropology work in the Moonflow. I had to write a passage on the Hypellow for a text book." He laughed, so Livius decided he was allowed to laugh too. It sounded so fake that he was momentarily disgusted with himself. Suddenly, he wondered where they were walking. They had wandered far into Bevelle's capitol building, back towards the largest, tallest tower, he figured. "Well," the Head Scholar began again, "before you get settled back in, the Ruler requests an audience."

Livius came to sudden stop, halting in the middle of the hall so that his companion walked past him for a few pace. He blinked. No, no, no, this couldn't happen. The last time he had had an audience with the Ruler, it was to reveal a grave secret about Livius and his—

"It's okay, Livius. You're not in trouble. I'm sure he just wants to hear about your time in Mi'ihen."

Livius' mind was still spinning so fast, his head a rush of thoughts and fears and panic that he could hardly accept such a harmless possibility into the whirlwind.

"Well, come on now, you're nearly there." Vestidalor put his hand on Livius' shoulder, pushing him gently and he began walking again, his mind still in panic mode. "I know, no one enjoys an audience so humbling. It's a reminder how inadequate and dispensable we all are when we face someone as great as our Ruler."

Moments later, Livius' stricken form laid eyes on the large wooden doors that led to the staircase of the largest, tallest tower, and the Head Scholar said, "Well, I'll see you in time, Livius." He clapped him on the back one last time before leaving him to face the doors on his own.

* * *

Meanwhile, Vidina, Nyeha, Cahake and Scintilla found themselves in cages. However, whatever cages Vidina might have pictured when the idea first popped into his head, well, he had to admit that he had not imagined them hanging from the ceiling.

He and Nyeha were trapped together, as were Cahake and Scintilla. Vaguely, he ever wondered if the guards stationed outside of their bottomless prison would feel like feeding them, but dismissed the thought of food altogether. Best not to get his hopes up, after all.

Vidina clung to the bars. Nyeha, overcome with anxiety, was pacing back and forth and thus, their hanging cage swung slightly to match her steps. Even for someone who never really had a fear of heights, it was a little scary.

"Vidina, fa haat du kad uid uv rana. ((**Vidina, we need to get out of here.**))" Nyeha mumbled, stopping the pacing for one glorious moment before starting again.

"E luimt ryja dumt oui dryd. ((**I could have told you that.**))" Vidina replied, raising his eyebrows, addressing the obviousness of what she had just said. He glanced over at the cage nearest them, where Cahake and Scintilla had glanced over to watch their conversation with a small amount of wonder.

"Hu, fa _haat_ du kad uid uv rana. ((**No, we **_**need**_** to get out of here.**))" She repeated, stressing the third word in a way that made him look up at her again, questions written all over his face."E cyf kmycc eh dra lmaynehk. ((**I saw glass in the clearing.**))"

"Ur. Dra _kmycc_. ((**Oh, the glass.**))" Vidina began, obviously failing to see the importance of the glass now, "Eh dra vyla uv uin essehahd taydrc, E lyh'd pameaja E vunkud ymm ypuid dra _kmycc. _((**In the face of our imminent deaths, I can't believe I forgot all about the glass.**))"

This obviously struck a nerve.

"E lyh'd pameaja oui! Fa fanah'd zicd bettmehk ynuiht, fyedehk du kad ynnacdat yht aqalidat! Fa ryja y zup du tu, Vidina! Y bnubralo du vimvemm! ((**I can't believe you! We weren't just piddling around, waiting to get arrested and executed! We have a job to do, Vidina! A prophecy to fulfill!**))"

Cahake and Scintilla were still peering over at them, probably wondering what Vidina had said that had set Nyeha off like that.

"Rao, luum ed. ((**Hey, cool it.**))" Vidina began slowly, trying to calm her down, "E's zicd cyoehk dryd drana yna vyn suna inkahd syddanc du yddaht du pavuna fa haat du cdynd funnoehk ypuid dra kmycc yht dra bnubralo ykyeh. Mega dra vyld dryd fa'na eh y lyka ryhkehk vnus dra laemehk, ypuid du pa bid uh dneym yht aqalidat. ((**I'm just saying that there are far more urgent matters to attend to before we need to start worrying about the glass and the prophecy again. Like the fact that we're in a cage hanging from the ceiling, about to be put on trial and executed.**))" He heard Scintilla gasp and as he glanced over there, Cahake's mouth was gaping slightly. He spun around to face the exit, and he was face to face with someone he had seen only in a memory.

"You really are the prophecy kids, aren't you?"

* * *

"I'll admit, it's good to have you back in the city." The Ruler sat at a desk in a dark room. Livius was shaking from head to foot. He couldn't conceal his absolute terror. "I hear you've had quite the adventure out in Mi'ihen. You ran a hotel, saved someone's life, fell in love. And then you left, desperate to pursue an adventure of your own, instead of studying someone else's. Am I wrong, Livius?"

"N—n—no sir."

The figure leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "At least you still know your place, and you're not getting any thoughts otherwise." There was a long moment of silence that Livius was terrified to break. "Surely, surely you're curious…" The Ruler trailed off, obviously expecting Livius to answer.

"I—I—don't understand what you mean, sir."

"Oh, surely there are many things you want to ask me. For instance, I'm puzzled as to why you haven't asked how we found the Al Bhed girl and her companion."

Livius quickly formed what he thought was a proper answer in his head. "But surely," he borrowed his superior's favorite word, "surely the highest military forces in Spira needed no assistance in finding a traitor, destroyer of the peace and a _lawbreaker._" He was internally disgusted at the way those words sounded on his lips. Now, more than ever, he respected Nyeha and Vidina and their mission for peace and liberation. He secretly wished he had as much strength as they did.

"Generally, our military would not need assistance. But this girl, the Al Bhed princess, per se, she was different. She knew how to speak Spiran, she knew how to disguise herself. She was more of a threat than any other Al Bhed ever could be, because she could be a Sprian. However, there was one feature that she could not hide. Do you know the one physical feature that differentiates Al Bhed's from Spirans?"

After a moment, it dawned on him. "Their eyes." Her swirled, green eyes! Had he never looked properly at her? He berated himself for not figuring it out earlier. For a moment, he almost forgot who he was conversing with.

"Yes. However, it is only the most learned of Spirans that know that. Which is why I counted on you, Livius, to use what you had studied and figure out the mystery for yourself. However, you let me down." Those three words rang out through the large room, echoing off of walls that Livius could not see. "At least I had anticipated that possibility. Nonetheless, you led them all to me. To Bevelle."

"They were on their way here already, sir."

"Are you still puzzled, Livius? Do you not understand? Of course, you could be playing dumb. How despicable for a Scholar of your standing, but, of course, it could be guilt I detect. How fitting. It's poignant, isn't it, Livius? Their deaths were almost certain, but you sealed their fate by accompanying them on their journey." The figure reached out to his left and pulled a crystal mirror out of the shadows. "The traitors, well, it's no difference to them, but _her_, well, it's far too late to ask for _her _forgiveness. She figured it out before you did. Should that worthless heathen be a Scholar, too?" He handed Livius the crystal mirror, and he heart sank when he saw Alanis asleep, face down in a cell in the Via Infinito.

"No!" Livius cried, his heart racing, his head spinning again and his hand quivering uncontrollably.

"It was your badge, Livius. We put a spell on it before you left. We could see you, we could hear every word. It was your badge that put her in the Via Infinito, Livius, and she knows it."

Without replying, Livius half-dropped, half-smashed the crystal mirror in his hands.

The Ruler's disposition changed entirely. "Now go! Get out, before I'm tempted to have you join her!"

**A/N: AAAHHH! I can't believe I had to do that to poor Livius… :'( I feel so evil...  
**


	33. Chapter 32: Defiance, Admittance & Death

**A/N: :DD This is so much fun to write. **

**Denya of darkness:**** Haha. Back before I abandoned the story, there was a time when I'd update every few days. Then I got busy. Thanks. I appreciate any recommendations I can possibly get.**

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** Yes, just like every character gets their chance for development, this is where Livius has to come face to face with all his problems, all at once. **

**Ogro:**** Thanks for the characterization compliment. :D I really do take pride in my ability to create believable original characters. And don't worry too much about Cahake and Scintilla just yet. And don't worry. Now that I'm back on track and I have almost three weeks until school starts, there's no way I'm going to abandon this.**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Thirty Two**

"_Defiance, Admittance and Death"_

"No!"

Now that the Ruler had lost his temper, Livius decided that if he was going to die anyway, he wasn't going to run.

"How dare you defy me!" The Ruler cried, slamming his fist on the table as he stood up. Livius wasn't shaking anymore. "You of all people, Livius! When I alone have the power to reveal your secret to the world?!"

Livius shook his head. He was terrified, but there was no way he was going to let it show. "I don't care about that anymore."

"You would have the whole world know that you are half Guado, only a small step above the Al Bhed themselves?! Your parents were killed after the Al Bhed were relocated and this scandal came to light. You would have the whole world know that you shouldn't exist? You would have _her _know that?"

At the mention of Alanis, Livius became enraged. "She—she would forgive me, even if the rest of the world didn't." He supposed Nyeha and Vidina and Scintilla and Cahake would too.

"It doesn't matter, though, does it? She broke the law and she must be imprisoned. It's a shame, Livius. To see someone who was so wise become so heartbroken over the loss of someone like her."

"What crime has she committed?! What reason do you have to throw her into the Via Infinito, other than to have leverage on me?!" Livius cried.

The figure's temperament changed at an alarming rate. Now, he was more than happy to answer Livius' questions.

"Why, thank you for asking." The Ruler sat back down in his chair again. Livius glanced down at the shattered glass before him, wondering vaguely if it would be the last thing he ever saw. "As you probably know, she misused forbidden machina, she resisted arrest and—best of all—tried to break someone out of prison."

Livius was startled by this, and hoped that it didn't show on his face.

"And because I am so kind, I ordered that she be put in her father's cell. What a happy family reunion it was, I watched through that very mirror." The Ruler paused, and Livius supposed that he was peering at the mirror. He, on the other hand, was trying his best to process this information. Alanis' father was in prison? Why had she never told him? Then again, they had each had their secrets.

"You—you—" Livius, with all his vast vocabulary, could not find words to describe how evil and twisted this man was.

"I'm disappointed that I won't get to watch your reunion with her." The Ruler said, possibly peering at the broken mirror again, "But, of course, if I'm lucky, I won't need to dispose of your filthy hide after all. She may kill you herself."

* * *

"Paine!" Nyeha gasped.

Vidina was sure it was Paine. It was those same red eyes, the same silvery hair, the same impenetrable expression. But unlike in Yuna's memories, there was a small smile on her face.

Paine nodded. "Baralai told me that you two might be speaking Al Bhed," she began, her face faltering slightly, "but I didn't realize that you," she addressed Vidina, "would be fluent. But no matter." She began to fiddle with the lock on their cage. For the first time, she glanced over at the other occupied cage. Cahake and Scintilla were gaping at her. She stopped for a moment, her fiery eyes meeting theirs. Her face was momentarily overcome with shock and confusion as she breathed, "You." She narrowed her eyes momentarily, before turning her attention back to the task at hand. The door to their cage swung open, and they stepped onto the hover where Paine stood.

"Thank you, thank you so much." Nyeha gasped, "We cannot thank you enough."

"I'm not as selfless as you think I am." Paine began, her eyebrows raised, "I'm here to save my husband. I'm no hero."

* * *

What seemed like mere moments later, Livius thrown in a cell in the Via Infinito, and as the guards clamored off, he searched the shadowy room for any sign of life. Had the Ruler's threat been genuine? Was Alanis here? Was she—

Livius' train of thought was derailed as a hand reached out of the darkness and closed around his windpipe.

"How dare you—you filthy scum! Have you come to brag, to lord it over me that I've been most unceremoniously thrown into prison?"

Livius vaguely wondered why she bothered asking him anything at all, while he was busy being choked by Alanis herself. So all he could manage to do was shake his head frantically. If he didn't handle this correctly, not only would he have no one on his side, not the Ruler, not Alanis, but if this went badly, she might actually kill him.

In the dim, eerie light of the Via Infinito, his blue eyes must have seemed desperate and pleading enough to warrant him a few more minutes of his filthy life, because Alanis threw him down most painfully onto the dirty stone ground. He stood on his hands and knees for a few moments, panting and heaving, before slowly and cautiously standing up again, his entire body shaking slightly. He pushed his glasses back up his nose, taking only a short instant to notice that the right lens was cracked. In what little light they had, Alanis looked absolutely vicious, almost slightly animal-like in the ferocity of her expression, her eyes narrowed to slits and her teeth bared slightly. He had never seen her (maybe anyone) this angry before, and it terrified him more than the Ruler ever had.

"This better be good, you self-serving bastard."

"At this point, that almost sounds like a compliment."

"Don't push your luck," Alanis warned, her voice more than half growl.

"Well, it just so happens that I'm in prison now too."

The look on Alanis' face morphed from vicious anger to (still slightly angry) confusion.

"Yes, you may not believe it, but I snapped and defied the Ruler of all Spira."

There was a long, long moment of silence in which Alanis seemed to struggle with this information.

After a long time, she came up with a conclusion. "I don't believe it."

"You think I'm a spy?"

"You probably always were." She seemed to resign, sighing slightly, "I don't know what to think about you anymore, Livius."

"I wasn't a spy then—not intentionally—and I'm certainly not now."

"You found out about the badge?" Alanis said, pulling it out of her pocket.

"Yes."

She turned it over in her fingers a couple times, before saying, "I took it in the hope that you would figure it out and Nyeha and Vidina would be able to escape into the Calm Lands." She sighed. "I suppose that didn't happen, did it?"

Livius was unwilling to admit it, but he did anyway, "No. They're in the cages." He paused. "I'm not a spy, Alanis."

She took a step in his direction, her curiosity obviously getting the best of her. "What could you possibly say to prove it to me?"

He searched his mind for something he could possibly say to her, but he couldn't think of anything. "I—we—you—you just have to trust me."

"Why the hell should I trust you?!" Alanis burst, tears hanging at the edges of her eyes.

"Because of all those years you used that illegal machina and I could have turned you in and I didn't! I saved your life! Because I hated you more than anyone else and I still fell in love with you! Because I've been living a lie since I was ten years old and all of Spira will know that in a matter of days!" Livius' outburst rivaled Alanis', if not surpassed, and as he exhaled, he watched her shoulders fall. "Because I've kept your secret for so long, and it's only fair that you hear mine now."

* * *

"My bag!" Nyeha remembered, exclaiming as they passed numerous unconscious guards behind Paine.

"I stowed it down a back hall somewhere around here," Paine said, taking a right. "I noticed one of your guards had it on him." They took another right, and Paine stopped suddenly. Vidina looked up. They had stopped at an empty torch bracket, and Paine was looking at it intently. Without warning, she reached through the wall and pulled out Nyeha's bag.

Vidina and Nyeha stood open mouthed, but Paine only shoved the bag in Nyeha's direction and said, "Don't worry about that! You two need to get out of here as fast as possible. They'll be heading this way in twenty minutes when the guards change shifts, and you need to be far away by then!" They nodded, and Paine began walking quickly in the other direction.

As they began hurrying down the hallway, Nyeha looked over and smiled at Vidina. "It's just the two of us again, isn't it? Back to how we started."

"Is it better, or worse?" Vidina said, somehow not able to shake the feeling that this was all quite ordinary for him now. Just busy getting arrested, herded into a cage hanging from the ceiling, being broken out by a complete stranger, cheating death one more time. Just another week for Nyeha and Vidina, he thought amusedly.

Nyeha thought for a moment as they took a left. "Both, I think. Any idea where we're going?"

"Not exactly. But there's got to be some kind of back door out of here."

"And if there's not?" Nyeha asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Then they kill us, just like they were going to anyway." Vidina pointed out.

"Excellent point." Nyeha said as they headed for a large brown door at the end of the hallway. If Vidina's hunch was correct, then this was their ticket out of here.

* * *

_BANG! BANG! BANG! _

_Rikku awoke to ferocious knocking. She swore in Al Bhed, and glanced over at her husband, who was still fast asleep. He had always been a heavy sleeper._

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

_Rikku, not wanting the knocking to disturb her son and her fake daughter in the next room, hurriedly put on her robe and answered the door. Standing before her was none other than the strange translator she and Mekred had talked to a while back. The one with the stutter._

"_How may I help you?" Rikku said, internally deciding that this guy was decent and worth a bit of her respect. _

"_T—t—they've arrested t—t—the real N—Nyeha." The translator stuttered. He paused, before continuing in Al Bhed, "Drao'ja ynnacdat ran vun rekr dnaycuh. Cra'c du pa aqalidat. ((__**They've arrested her for high treason. She's to be executed.**__))"_

"_Oui tuh'd cdiddan frah oui cbayg Al Bhed. ((__**You don't stutter when you speak Al Bhed.**__))" Rikku said, looking him up and down. For a certified translator, he looked a little shabby. He was dressed in a worn gray suit and a dull red necktie. She rested on his eyes. They were brown. "Ev ed fanah'd vun ouin aoac, E fuimt kiacc dryd oui fana uha uv ic. ((__**If it weren't for your eyes, I would guess that you were one of us.**__))"_

"_Pid fryd yna oui kuehk du tu ypuid Nyeha? ((__**But what are you going to do about Nyeha?**__))" The translator pleaded. _

"_Fryd lyh E tu? E dnicd ran. ((__**What can I do? I trust her.**__))" Rikku said, raising her eyebrows. After all, what could she do? She was imprisoned, as she had been for Nyeha's entire life. "Fro yna oui cu funneat ypuid ran? ((__**Why are you so worried about her?**__))" Sure, she appreciated a Spiran seeming genuinely concerned about her daughter's well-being, but after years of imprisonment, she was a bit skeptical. She was sure he had some ulterior motive. _

"_Drao...drao'ja esbnecuhat cusauha esbundyhd du sa. Dfu baubma, huf. E tuh'd fyhd du caa yhudran meva mucd du druca nidrmacc baubma. Ouin tyikrdan ryc dra bufan du lryhka dra funmt.((_**T**_**hey...they've imprisoned someone important to me. Two people, now. I don't want to see **_

_**another life lost to those ruthless people. Your daughter has the power to change the world.**__))" The translator said, sighing shakily. _

_Rikku thought for a long, long moment. For the first time, she noticed that he was clutching a large brown book rather severely, and that there was a polished gold wedding band on his left ring finger. Slowly, she began, "Nara...cra cyet cra kud synneat du cusauha, pid cra fuimth'd cyo fru. Cyet cra luimth'd. Ed fyc oui, fych'd ed? Oui'na dra uhmo uha ynuiht rana fru naymmo caasc du lyna ypuid ic. ((__**Nara...she said she got married to someone, but she wouldn't say who. Said she couldn't. It was you, wasn't it? You're the only one around here who really seems to care about us.**__))" _

_The translator's face softened slightly, so Rikku knew she was right, but he pleaded once more, "Bmayca, Rikku! Zicd mecdah du sa! Nyeha haatc ramb! ((__**Please, Rikku! Just listen to me! Nyeha needs help!**__))"_

_She thought about this for a moment, watching the translator's desperate face. "Cra'c hajan paah uha vun lykac. E dnicd ran, yht oui cruimt duu. Cra ghufc fryd cra'c tuehk. ((__**She's never been one for cages. I trust her, and you should too. She knows what she's doing.**__))" _

* * *

Nyeha and Vidina headed out the door into the crisp Bevelle sunlight, and to their surprise, happened upon an entire row of hovers.

"Hot damn, Nyeha!" Vidina said excitedly. "We really lucked out here!"

"You're telling me!" Nyeha said, glancing around to make sure they were alone. Vidina had stepped onto one when the back doors flew open and an orange blur screamed,

"Nyeha! Vidina! Wait!" Tears were streaming down Scintilla's face, her eyes wide with fear. "Cahake! He's—he's—he's—"

"He's _what, _Scintilla?" Nyeha said, suddenly concerned. She shared a frightened look with Vidina shortly before Scintilla said, her lip quivering and her body shaking from head to toe,

"He's _dead_."

**A/N: I sort of had a contest with myself, to see how much shock I could possibly pack into one chapter. Not really. But that's what it looks like, doesn't it? **

**P.S.: I'll give you a cookie if you go read and review my original story on FictionPress. I'll say it again, it's under Painted Sky and it's called Untitled, for the moment. …por favor? ...for the cookie?  
**


	34. Chapter 33: The Unraveling

**A/N: Chemistry's a bitch.**

**We're coming up on the end…ish. Unfortunately, high school is one big time-sucker, so until fall break I can't guarantee anymore chapters. **

**Ogro:**** Just wanted point out, in case I hadn't already, that Alanis is absolutely Spiran. 100. And because there's not supposed to be any mystery surrounding Nara, she's an Al Bhed. She was actually briefly mentioned in the beginning, when Nyeha and Mekred were caught in the sandstorm. The former told her brother to head to Nara's shack. Yeah. Just clearing that one up.**

**Denya of darkness:**** I really don't know how many chapters are left, but probably no more than five or six. **

**Zaz9-zaa0:**** Paine has always been one of my favorite characters. Probably only second to Baralai. Haha, I can't answer any of your other questions, can I?**

**Pray for Rain:**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

"_Unraveling"_

Cahake groped at the open wound in his stomach. It wasn't bleeding. From where he had fallen onto his knees, he glanced up at Paine.

"You didn't have to let the girl see. She's just a _child._"

She swore, and then hissed under her breath. "Now you care about them? Enough to go and betray them for a chance to cheat death again?" She put her knife in her belt.

"If you knew that I was—I am—" He still seemed to have trouble saying it, and it made Paine feel sorry for him for a short instant. Then it was gone. "That I'm an unsent, then did you really have to stab me? In front of Scintilla?"

"She needs to tell the others." Paine growled, her hands shaking and her chest heaving in obviously suppressed rage. "I can't believe you. That you would save Nyeha's life, knowing that you were leading her to her death." Baralai had warned her that the prophecy said that the children of the prophecy would be betrayed by someone they trusted, but she hadn't realized that it would cause her to lash out in rage. "He—The Ruler—he was going to send you, wasn't he? He threatened to send you, unless you went back to your home and saved Nyeha's life was it was necessary. You were supposed to follow them, make sure they came to Bevelle, and then you would be free."

"Is—is it wrong to be willing to do anything to live?"

Paine's fiery eyes seemed blazing as she narrowed them even further. "If it costs the lives of all your friends, then yes. Yes, it's wrong. I'm guessing you've been dead since before Tidus and Yuna disappeared. You probably remember Sin and Vegnagun, unlike the friends you've traveling with."

Cahake only swallowed nervously.

"You don't belong here anymore. You belong in the Farplane." Paine said sternly. "And I can't believe that you would sell them out so you could continue your pitiful half-life."

"They're my friends now!" Cahake shouted, and was slightly surprised by how much it echoed. "If I could go back and do it again—"

"You'd what?" Paine shot back, raising her voice to match his. "You'd let the Ruler send you once and for all? You'd refuse to be used by a corrupt figure? You'd save her life but convince them not to go to Bevelle?" She was raving mad now, but she did the thing that Cahake least expected her to do at that very moment. She began unlocking his cage. "You can go to your filthy, precious Ruler who granted you a second chance, but I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that Nyeha and Vidina succeed, with or without your help." She swung his cage open, but with her free hand she swung a surprisingly firm and expertly executed left hook straight into the middle of his and the _crack _that resounded indicated that she had broken his nose.

-

"You're—you're what?" Alanis asked, taking half a step backwards. For a split second, Livius wondered if he had been wrong about her after all, if the girl he had accidently fallen in love with was just as repulsed with his heritage as the rest of Spira would be. Then, she took another two steps forward. There was still shock on her face, but she said softly, "You could have told me, Livius. I—I wouldn't have abandoned you. Even if everyone else did." Her eyes seemed to be welling up slightly as she continued, "No one should have to keep a secret their whole lives. Even you." She said, a familiar smirk returning to him. It was strangely comforting.

Not really wanting to talk about it anymore, Livius shifted the focus of the conversation. "Your brother is exceptionally clever, you know? He's perfectly safe, because what he's doing isn't actually illegal."

"But he's posing as an Al Bhed, isn't he?"

"That's what I thought, but then I met him."

Alanis looked shocked. "When did you—how did yo—where—"

"He's been back to Bevelle a few times in the past couple years. I knew because you mentioned something about him having a stutter, and once, in the library a couple years ago, I met a stuttering translator who looks a lot like you."

Alanis' eyes were wide, but she spoke in a tone that radiated nothing but joy. "You mean—you mean he's okay?!"

"Of course he is."

In a show of happiness, Alanis leapt up and kissed him, and Livius realized that he enjoyed it a lot more when it wasn't spurred on by a passionate hate for one another. It seemed as though they were in the same boat now, so they might as well start working together instead of working against each other.

"Thank you, Livius." Alanis said softly. "Thank you for _everything_."

"And to think, just a few minutes ago you had your hand clenched around my throat."

"I still wouldn't push my luck, if I were you."

"Oh, whatever." Livius just looked at her for a long moment, his smile fading slightly. "Alanis, we have to get out of here. Nyeha and Vidina—"

"My—my father is down here too, somewhere. I found him, before they captured me and moved me here. I can't leave without him."

Livius processed this for a moment. "I can't leave without you, so it looks like we have a rescue mission on our hands."

-

"He's dead?!" Nyeha gasped.

"Wh—what happened, Scintilla?" Vidina asked, numb with shock. Surely this was some kind of sick joke.

Scintilla was shaking from head to toe, and for a moment Vidina was unsure if she was able to speak. "P—Paine—she—she just—just st—st—stabbed him out of the blue—out of nowhere and he—he—he didn't bleed—he said—said—'Scintilla, I'm so—so sorry' and th—then P—Paine let me out and t—told me to go after y—you two. I said—I said 'No, I'm going to stay here. I don't want you to hurt him anymore,' and she—she said not to worry, that he was never really on our side anyway. Then she—she said that he was already _dead._" Scintilla burst into tears, falling into Nyeha's arms. Nyeha patted her hair, as she glanced at Vidina, and it became apparent that neither of them knew what to say or do.

-

"Welcome back, Cahake." The Ruler said calmly and almost warmly.

"M—many thanks, sir." Cahake stuttered slightly, unable to contain his fear.

The Ruler leaned back in his chair, sighing in a relieved sort of way as he spoke slowly, "I suppose you think you've succeeded."

Cahake stayed silent.

"After all, you aided Nyeha and Vidina in their journey to Bevelle, they made it here alive, and you've got that wound in your stomach to prove that the other side doesn't trust you anymore. I suppose this is Paine's handiwork?"

Cahake, who had had his arms crossed over the wound, betrayed a hint of surprised.

"Don't think that I don't know everything that goes on inside these walls, Cahake. You wouldn't have run to me if Paine hadn't let your friends go. But don't worry, I'm not going to send anyone after them."

Cahake stayed silent, confused and still unsure where his alliance lay.

"They'll come back. They _have _to. The future of their quest depends on it." All of a sudden, the Ruler gasped, as if taking a blow. He leaned forward and clutched the sides of the desk, panting. "Forgive—forgive my outburst." The panting slowed. "Have you ever had a point in your life, or death, where your body and mind were in conflict?" The Ruler asked slowly, as he let go of the desk, folding his hands in front of him instead.

"No, sir." Cahake said, slightly startled by the incident.

"It is a terrible thing, Cahake." The Ruler sighed slowly. There was a long pause in which either declined to speak. "Paine stabbed you because you led the children, the rebellion's last hope, here, to Bevelle. It's true that you helped them on their way, but inevitably, they will march straight into their own deaths. While Paine's outburst was not unprovoked, it was terribly unnecessary. No, I do believe that you actually care for them now, maybe even believe in them and their cause, but they will return to the city and come to me, because they need these." From his robes the Ruler produced a black velvet bag and spilled the contents out on the desk for Cahake to observe. All across the table now, was many pieces of the most beautiful glass he had ever seen, in many shapes and sizes but shining and swirling in countless colors, mystical and magical and mesmerizing. At the same time, he felt drawn into them, as if he were being pulled in by a force he could not see.

The door behind him swung open, and as the Ruler hastily scooped the glass back into the bag, the trance was broken. Cahake turned to get a look at the interrupter, and he was face to face with none other than the robed man who had walked off with Livius upon the party's arrival at the city. Though the man was clearly enraged, he spoke in soft tones.

"Is it true? Are the rumors true?"

With the light pouring into the room from the hallway, Cahake noticed that not too far from where he was standing was an array of more broken glass. Unlike the glass he had seen moments ago, this glass was not mystical nor mesmerizing, but plain and mirror.

"Yes, High Scholar. What you've heard is true. Your student Livius has been imprisoned in the Via Infinito, awaiting punishment." This caught Cahake's attention. Livius was a Scholar—he belonged in Bevelle. The Via Infinito hadn't been used—hadn't been used since—in the current situation, Cahake's mind was unable to produce the memory of the last time someone had been imprisoned in the Via Infinito.

"Ruler, what—what has Livius done to deserve such a thing?"

"I cannot yet reveal his charges, as we are currently in the middle of protecting Spira from a threat brought on by a group of anarchists, but I promise you, Vestidalor," The Ruler said slowly, for emphasis, "that when all of this is over, you'll rue the day you took pride in Livius." The High Scholar looked simply stunned, but the Ruler seemed impatient and added, "If you would be so kind, I'm in a meeting right now."

The High Scholar, obviously still in shock, slowly shut the door and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance.

"It's unraveling, Cahake." The Ruler said slowly, his lips slowly forming into a smile, but after a moment, he let out another gasp of pain. His shadowy face was contorted in pain, but there was not a trace of sympathy or concern in Cahake's face.

"I know who you are now." Cahake said, in a casual sort of way as his eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know whose body you've stolen. But I know who you are. I'll admit it, I believed the rumors of your death. I believed you were gone. But your voice—it's been many many years since I heard that voice, that day in Luca, but now I'm sure that it's you. I can't believe how far you've sunk."

The Ruler, obviously being tortured by some force, let out a scream, and fell to the floor. In another, different voice that Cahake remembered from another day in Luca many years ago, the Ruler shouted, "I won't let you use me!" Panting, the new voice shouted again, "I'll die in this body if it means that you'll die too! I won't let this continue any longer!" The second voice slowly inhaled, before its body suddenly picked up a piece of the mirrored glass and shoved it into his leg, blood suddenly flooding the floor. Both voices gasped in pain simultaneously, but the host's voice shouted, "Cahake, run!"

In his shock and confusion, he obliged.

-

"Vidina, we have to get out of here." Nyeha said, "They'll be looking for us any moment now, especially if Cahake, if he—" She seemed unable to say what they were both thinking. First Alanis, then Livius, now Cahake.

"I'm staying." Scintilla said.

"What?" Vidina exclaimed, slightly startled.

"It's for the best." Scintilla replied, her eyes still a little watery. "I can send them off in the wrong direction, and they really can't arrest me, can I?"

"Are you sure, Scintilla?" Nyeha said, looking worried.

"A hundred percent."

Nyeha looked at Vidina, and her gaze indicated that they had realized the same thing at the same moment.

They were on their own again.

**A/N: This was a little short, I won't lie. But once again, pretty dense, and I'm sure that you guys will just be happy to have something up after that long gap. **


End file.
